Leather And Chrome
by CrumpetCapers
Summary: The bad-boys of BTR are pushing the boundaries to become the latest jukebox heroes of the 1950's. It's a time of fast cars, rock n' roll, and lots of leather and chrome. AU. All four endure bouts of angst, humor, friendship, and romance. Rated for dark themes, sexual situations, and language.
1. The Chase

**A/N: This has been in my head for a while now, and I thought that it was so funny that Logan mentioned in an interview that he would choose the 1950's if he could choose an era to visit. So he will have his wish in this story! I like playing around with different concepts (same boys), so here is the first chapter just to get it going. I will be updating Missing In Motion this week, I promise!**

**I do Not own Big Time Rush in any way.**

**Chapter 1. The Chase**

A cherry red convertible screeched to a halt at the stoplight, of the California intersection. The sunlight glistened off of the waxed paint, and the black and white fuzzy dice swayed back and forth. The synchronized radios at the four-way stop, made the voice of Elvis, singing _Jailhouse Rock_, loud and clear.

Three girls in an aqua and white convertible, looked over when they heard the beat of a different rock song, reverberating from the car beside them. A dark-haired boy turned to face them, sensing all eyes upon him. He flashed them a broad white grin. He lowered his sunglasses, and peered over the top of them, revving his engine.

They smiled back, impressed with the mass of dimples that appeared, when he smiled flirtatiously, and the raw sex appeal that he emanated, with his strong jaw and cleft chin. The light changed, and the red convertible shot off like a rocket.

"What a tease!" the girl called from the back seat, her sheer pink scarf blowing in the breeze, as she leaned out. The brunette at the wheel, cut into the lane behind him, ready for the chase.

The girl in the passenger seat giggled. "You're crazy!" she said to her friend.

He glanced in his rear-view mirror, crooked grin still visible. He knew they'd follow, but he wondered if they actually knew who he was, yet. It didn't really matter though, he'd been chased plenty, even before he was one of the 'fine four'. He was going to give them a good chase. He sped up, and headed onto the freeway, ignoring the speed limit sign, and turned up the radio.

The tailing car sped up as well, and smoothly switched lanes, as their leader did. He laughed out loud when he saw his exit ahead, and careened to the right, maneuvering the car sharply around the curve, where the road led to the beach house. He knew that Kendall wouldn't be pleased if he showed up with a carload of girls hot on his tail, but he couldn't help it, he loved the adrenaline rush.

Kendall would grab him by the wrist, and drag him away to scold him for the umpteenth time, about being careless. Then he would ask him, "Why didn't you lose them first?" in complete exasperation. "We don't even know who they are! They could be ax-murders for all we know!" Logan would try not to laugh.

He knew there would be a confrontation with Kendall this time, because the girls behind him certainly were rowdies. The thrill he got was worth it, even if he couldn't understand it. He loved it when the girls ultimately discovered who they were actually chasing, and squealed in surprise. The way the girls would throw themselves at him, made him feel powerful, and he liked the way Kendall's eyes narrowed at him, when he was trying to hold back his anger. His penetrating green eyes would flash with hostility, then immediately soften, attempting to reason with his stubborn friend. He liked how Kendall never said what he really _wanted_ to say, and never did what he really _wanted _to do. Above all, Logan liked the chase. It was all about the chase.

Kendall was usually cool and laid-back, when the girls all gathered around him. They liked his 'James Dean' attitude, and when he grinned back at them, they stalked him to no end. He would calmly pull a pack of cigarettes, out from the rolled up sleeve of his tee, and stick one into the corner of his mouth. The girls would act as if he had just taken his shirt off, and had done it entirely for them. Inside, he was a bit uncomfortable with all the attention that they were getting lately, but it never seemed to show when it really mattered.

Logan pulled the Buick Roadmaster in at a sharp angle, and placed it in park, on the steep incline of the drive. The girls pulled directly behind him, hoping to block him off and entrap him. They sat along the edge of the windows, and whistled at him. He climbed out stretching, and giving them the show that they'd hoped for. He pushed the sunglasses to the top of his head, and nestled them into the lush dark tresses. He flashed them another toothy grin, and adjusted his shorts playfully.

Kendall stood in the doorway of the beach house, watching. He shook his head. The girls were flirting shamelessly with Logan now, and it wasn't going to be easy to get rid of them.

"Hey, do you live here?" the one from the back seat, asked.

"We do for the summer at least, and it might become permanent, eventually," he said. The driver followed his gaze to the screen door, noticing the tall blond there. She looked from the blond to the brunet, repeatedly, before recognition finally dawned on her.

"Hey-aren't you those guys...the ones that played at the...oh my God! You are, aren't you!"

"Yeah, that's us," he said, tossing his keys up in the air just to to catch them, and giving them a sideways glance under his eyelashes.

The girls all screamed. Must have figured it out already, Kendall thought to himself, still staring Logan down. "Oh my God! Can we have your autograph?" the driver asked.

"I can't believe that we followed BTR!" the passenger cried.

"Sure," he said with a shrug. He accepted the pen, and the car's owner's manual handed to him from the glove compartment, that she had thrust in his face.

"Sorry! I don't have anything else on me!" the driver said.

"Me, too!" the blonde said, pulling a letter from her boyfriend, deployed in the army, out of her purse. She flipped the envelope over.

"Oh! Oh! Here!" the third one yelled, grabbing a burger receipt off of the seat of the car. Logan chuckled. It was amazing what he was asked to sign.

"Hey! What about you, cutie!" the driver called over to the doorway. The other two jumped out of the car, and rushed the screen door, that Kendall was now using as a shield.

"Uh...uh..."

"Aw! Come on!" the blonde girl insisted, shoving the letter at him.

"Ahhhhh! He's in his undershorts!" the passenger squealed with delight. They took a long moment to ogle him appreciatively.

He backed away. "Crap! Hang on!" Kendall said, slamming the door shut, and locking it.

He returned with pants on, to find Logan being groped by the three girls. Kendall pushed open the door slightly, and Logan squeezed through the narrow opening, pushing right past him. Kendall sighed at him. He poked his hands through the door opening, and signed the miscellaneous items that Logan had already signed. The brunette chewed and snapped her gum noisily, and batted her eyes at him.

"Can't you boys come out and play?" she asked suggestively, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"Uh...actually...uh, no we can't," Kendall said, searching for just the right words. Why did Logan have to put him in these situations?

"Can't? Or _won't?"_ she asked, with an exaggerated pout. Kendall sighed even louder, and craned his neck around the door, to search for any sign of the culprit. No sign of Logan anywhere.

"Both, actually," he said. The girls pressed themselves into the door, and Kendall began to panic. Short of calling the police, Kendall managed to convince them that it was in their best interest to just be on their way, but not without inviting them to their beach party the next evening, as a trade-off.

"Oh my God! Yes! We'll be here!" the passenger said, bouncing up and down excitedly. "What time?"

"I guess...Eightish," Kendall said. Wait until he found that boy...

They scurried away, blowing a flurry of kisses from their palms, and squealed all the way back to their car. He could hear the tires squealing as well, _all_ the way down the drive. The girls are crazy, he thought with a scoff. _Thanks a lot Logan! _Kendall banged the door closed, and locked it. He leaned his back up against its cool surface, and tried to regain his composure. One day that boy was going to bring home Lizzie Borden, he just knew it. He closed his eyes, and took a couple of deep breaths.

_"Loooo-gaaaan!"_

xxx

They had cleaned up the beach house, and shopped for the snacks for the party they were hosting the following evening. Now they were just waiting for James and Carlos to come home. They always visited their families on the weekend, and this time was no exception.

Kendall placed the sole of his shoe against the surface of his black car, and his backside on the frame of the window, glancing over at Logan, who stood impatiently in the driveway.

"You told them that the party was starting at seven, tomorrow night?" Logan asked. He walked over, and leaned up against the side of Kendall's car, lazily folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, I told them. Be patient," Kendall said. The heat of the sun in the late afternoon sky, was intense, and Kendall stared up at it, as if he could make it back down somehow. He mopped at his brow with the back of his hand.

Logan watched him intently, as he shook out a cigarette from the pack in his hand, and dangled one from his mouth. He cupped a hand around it, to block the ocean breeze, from extinguishing the match, hollowed out his cheeks, and inhaled until the tip glowed red. Kendall's chest expanded, then deflated, as he released the puff of smoke.

"It's a hot one," Kendall said absent-mindedly, blowing the next puff of smoke at the blazing orb in the sky.

Logan shook his head disapprovingly. Kendall looked at him coyly, before inhaling deeply from the cigarette again, and made a production out of releasing a series of smoke rings, from the 'o' shape of his mouth.

"You know, that _can't _be healthy," Logan said.

"Who says?" Kendall retorted, puffing deeper.

"Well, anything foreign, that you put in your body, can't make it happy, right?" Logan pointed out.

"Like imported beer?" Kendall shot back, looking Logan up and down sarcastically. "Or that little gal, that you had such a crush on for a while? What was her name, Nadia? She was foreign, and who knows..." Kendall snickered.

Logan blushed, and rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying, you're a singer, and you seem to cough a bit in the mornings now-"

Kendall shifted, to cross his legs at the ankles, and stretched his arm around Logan's slender shoulders. "Oh, Logie-Boy." He purposely blew a breath of smoke in his direction. He dropped his arm, when Logan didn't respond to his hug.

"Haven't you given me _enough_ hell, for this?" Kendall asked, rolling up the sleeve of his tee-shirt, and pointing at the tattoo of a heart, tangled up in a vine of thorns. Logan grimaced at the still reddened skin around the edges of it, and sighed.

"You have some nerve, getting on me about dangerous things," Kendall scoffed.

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean?" Logan asked.

"You know what I'm talking about. You, and _your_ bad habits..."

"_What _bad habits?" Logan insisted.

"Bringing mobs of girls home," Kendall said simply.

"Mobs? I would hardly call three harmless girls, a mob," Logan said.

Kendall smirked. "Okay. You lay off of me about the smoking, and my need for ink, and I'll lay off of you, for the insane cravings you have for worship, and the need for speed, when you drive that little cherry bomb of yours."

Logan stared at his infuriating blond friend for a moment, but broke into a wide grin. "Deal," he said, "should we shake on it?"

"Naw," Kendall said, "we'll be doing plenty of shakin' later on tonight. Logan laughed, and slung his black leather jacket over his shoulder. He headed back to the beach house, while Kendall watched.

xxx

"Where are James and Carlos, Kendall?" Logan asked, for the third time in five minutes. He went to the window, and searched the darkness for lights.

"On their way! How many times do I have to tell you!" Kendall scolded.

"I'm bored," Logan said, shrugging.

"Well then, let me entertain you, little boy," Kendall said, with a big goofy grin. He strode over to the stereo, and threw a forty-five on the turntable. Elvis' _Hound Dog _lyrics, poured from the speaker. Kendall began to gyrate his hips around in a full circle, and dug his toes into the floor. He snapped his pelvis forward, and curled his upper lip theatrically. He mouthed the words as he thrust, leaving Logan in a fit of laughter. Kendall wound up for his favorite part, and stood directly in front of Logan's chair. He spun around, and swung his hips back and forth wildly. Logan laughed harder, and gave Kendall a hard swat on his shaking rear, as it came closer.

"Hey, _OW!"_ Kendall yelled. He rubbed at the stinging spot with a pout. "You no likey?"

Suddenly, a car pulled into the drive, and the headlights cast a moving beam across the wall. Kendall turned down the music, and the sound of a running engine, shuddered to a stop.

"Obviously, Carlos still hasn't bothered to fix that heap of his," Logan said, peering out.

"No, he prefers his cycle. Well, at least we'll know when it's him, and not some crazy gang of sex-deprived girls," Kendall said, giving Logan a stern look.

They helped Carlos and James unload their bags from the boot of the car. "Why are you guys so late getting back, this weekend?" Logan asked.

"What's wrong? Did we already miss the cocktails and caviar?" Carlos teased, slapping him on the back.

"Tell them, Carlos!" James said, sounding muffled with his head still in the boot. "We had to ditch a carload of crazy girls, that were staking out the property down there!" he exclaimed. He flipped back a stray lock of hair from his eye, and beamed at them. "They must have been there for hours!"

"Oh, _really?" _said Kendall, turning to make direct eye contact with Logan. He raised his eyebrows high, and waited for a response. Logan looked away guiltily. "Did they happen to be in an aqua and white convertible, by any chance?" he continued.

"Yeah!" James and Carlos said in unison, quite surprised. "How did you know?"

Kendall thunked Logan on the back of the head. "Way to go, wise guy!"


	2. Beach House Blues

**A/N: A big thanks to BookWorkKendall, vikwhis13, Pyscho WiTh a CaPiTaL S, Danny Zuko Chick, LazyLazyWriter, and of course anonymous guests. Also for the fave and the follows! (:**

**2. Beach House Blues**

Fats Domino crooned, _Ain't It A Shame, _and Logan sang along quietly. Kendall couldn't resist. His arm rose, sofa pillow in hand, and he pelted it at his friend's face. The pillow silenced the singing, before falling to the floor with a swoosh, leaving behind a very surprised boy.

"Now, why you have to mess with me?" Logan asked.

"'Cause I live for it," Kendall said, breaking into a wide grin.

"I believe you," said Logan, slipping lower into the chair, as if to get more comfortable. Instead, he wound up, and threw the pillow full-force into Kendall's smiling face, leaving his hair askew.

Logan looked at him smugly. Kendall laughed. "Point taken, you crumb."

"Hey, 'nother beer?" Carlos asked. He held two cold ones in his hands.

"Maybe, one more," James said, "but any more than that, and I'll be getting a belly." He rubbed it for emphasis.

"Aw, that would be tragic!" Kendall teased. "Just imagine, the girls seein' that pretty face of yours that makes them swoon. You walk away, belly stuck out round like you're carrying twins! Ha...Ha!"

James' face fell. "Thanks a lot Kendall, now I'm going to have nightmares tonight."

Carlos and Logan snickered. "Want one or not?" Carlos offered. "I'm still up."

"Yeah, throw me one," Kendall called to Carlos' retreating back. "Havin' one Logan?"

Logan thought for a moment. "Naw, I'm done." He didn't really care much for drinking. He had tried it a couple of times since he'd turned eighteen, and was of legal age, but he wasn't crazy about feeling like he'd lost total control of his body. If he was going to have a drink, it was usually with a meal, and it had to be one of the better brews.

"Come on, Logie. Razz my berries for once, huh?" Kendall nudged.

"You can accept me, for who I am," Logan replied with a dramatic sigh. "Take me, or leave me." He swung his leg over the arm of the floral-print, upholstered chair.

"Don't tease, Logan," Kendall threw back, batting his eyelashes. Logan shook his head.

"And you say,_ I_ breathe to flirt."

"You do," Kendall said, popping the cap off of his bottle on the window sill edge.

"Kendall!" James scolded. "You know Griffin is going to notice those gouges! He'll blow his top!"

Kendall shrugged, and took a swig. Carlos came back with two beers, and fell back to the sofa.

"Those both for you?" James asked. Carlos nodded. "Tired of getting up."

"Or, too drunk to get up," Logan muttered.

"So...boys! Tell us about your weekend. Did you have a blast, or what?"

"I did!" James answered first. "I met up with the head paper shaker from Hawthorne. Remember the short white skirt-"

"We remember, James!" they all cut in. He blushed, despite the self-confidence he usually exhibited.

"Yeah...well, we hung out Friday night." He took a sip from his bottle, relaxed into his chair, and smiled contentedly.

"You're not, leaving it there," Carlos said.

"Oh, I'm leaving it there."

Carlos stood up and leaned over James. "I haven't hung out with a dolly for weeks now. You're _not_ leaving it there," he said, trying to look intimidating.

"Look, I know that when you wear that black leather, and you're perched on that hog of yours, you are boss...but you don't scare me. I know you're just a big teddy bear. Besides, whose fault is it anyway, that you haven't talked to a girl in weeks?"

Carlos grabbed James' chin. "Spill!"

"All right! Don't grovel. There may have been a _little_ backseat bingo going on."

"Uhhhhh..." Carlos groaned. He threw himself back to his spot, and closed his eyes. "I hate you right now, man!"

James laughed victoriously. "You've got enough lookers after you, Carlos. I don't pity you," James said.

"Looking and _touching_, are two different things!" Carlos explained.

"Well, don't look so badass all the time! Chicks wanna see the sensitive side of you, too," James said, with an air of authority.

Kendall choked on his beer. His face went bright pink as he laughed, clutching at his stomach. "St-Stop! H-Hurts..."

"What's so funny?" Logan asked.

"G-Girls want sensitive, now?" Kendall sputtered, every dimple making a show.

"It's an art, Kendall," James said. "A balance of sensitive, and oh-so-fly." They were all smiling at him now. "Doesn't hurt if there uh...fast, either," James added, with a wink.

"Well, just remember," Logan warned, " a mini-James, is not going to be calling me Uncle Logan!"

James laughed at the visual. "Maybe a mini-Logan, will be calling you Daddy, instead."

Logan shook his head emphatically. "You can stop right there or get bent!"

Kendall retrieved another beer, and practically stumbled back to his seat. Logan noticed his lack of focus. "You guys really shouldn't be drinking that many tonight. Save it up."

He was sure that Kendall had already consumed more than his usual three or four.

"Okay, Doc," Kendall said, a slight slur in his tone.

"Well seriously, the party's not even until tomorrow and-"

"We get it! Don't be such a drag!" Carlos snapped. Logan shook his head, a bit shocked at Carlos' participation in the ridicule. It was silent except for the sound of The Drifters, playing on the radio.

"I'll just go get some more snacks from the kitchen, it might soak up some of the alcohol..." Logan said quietly. Kendall grabbed his wrist, as he went by.

"Hey, you worry when we go out, you worry when we stay in, what the hell do you want, Logan?"

"I _want,_ you to let go of my wrist, so I can get some chips," Logan whispered. James and Carlos watched them in silence.

"We're a _band_," Kendall continued, still grasping his wrist. "We're young, and we deserve to have some fun."

_"Got it_, Kendall," Logan said, through his clenched jaw. He knew that the beer was speaking for his friend, but he hated when he got so aggressive.

Carlos started to giggle. James looked over at Carlos, and began giggling as well. "This is just a bit too intense!" James laughed. "We really should have asked a couple of chicks back here tonight, you know."

"Yeah...Logan could have let all three of those crazy chicks, drag him off for a good time..." Kendall mused.

Logan stomped off, planning on spending a while in the kitchen simmering over Kendall's treatment of him, and hopefully giving Kendall time to compose himself, before returning.

xxx

Kendall had his guitar, and was strumming softly. The nights usually ended in a jam session of some sort. "Cut the radio!" Kendall ordered. Logan refused to comply, so James turned it off, and took a seat at the piano.

Carlos grabbed his sticks and sat at the drums, warming up his beats. They were mainly a singing group, but they had dabbled enough in the rock and roll movement, to begin expanding on their sound. Logan accepted the bass guitar, that Kendall handed him, with a relieved smile. Kendall had moved on from his earlier hostile behavior, and it was time to focus on the music.

They tinkered with the instruments for a while, before falling in sync with one another, to one of their favorite songs. The one that had brought them all together as a group, _Famous._ It always made them feel good to play it, and it brought them to a common place. They harmonized for a while, but wound up getting goofier and goofier, as the night wore on.

Outside of the beach house, the sound of the boys' laughter and their instruments, was blending beautifully with the rhythm of the ocean. It was like a breath of fresh air, from the typical sounds on the radio. It was unique and edgy, and it was about to shake up the music industry. The four girls, who were only feet away from the 'live' show, could vouch for that. They wore black clothing, had hidden themselves behind a growth of lilac bushes, and were giggling incessantly.

"The blonde is mine," the brunette whispered, knowing full well that his name was Kendall.

"That's fine, I want the bad boy with the dark hair, anyway," the blonde one whispered dreamily.

'Carlos?" the others asked, clarifying which brunet, she was referring to. She nodded.

"Hey, we just brought you along, because there were only three girls, and four boys. I get first choice!" said the driver.

"Fine. Who do you want?" she asked.

"Well, Logan or James, but that's not the point."

"I want James!" the other girl cut in. "You will have Logan."

"I have to get back!" the driver suddenly announced, staring at her watch in disbelief. Had they really been spying for an hour and a half? "My mom and dad will flip their wigs!"

The girls scurried down the sand hills, back to where they had hidden the car. It wasn't there any more.

**"Oh no!"** she gasped. **"What are we going to do,now?"**

The others were all too speechless to offer her any advice. They looked up at the beach house on the hill, still glowing invitingly with lamplight. They smiled at one another, all except for the driver, who knew that she would be missing the beach party the following evening, over this.

"Are you thinking, what I'm thinking?" the blonde asked.

"Probably not," scoffed the brunette, "but what choice do we have?"

"Oh no, you guys!" the driver pleaded. "We're in enough hot water already!"

"Then, let's make the best of it! Make it all worth it!"

xxx

They were finally waning down, and Kendall was feeling his last beer, a little more than he counted on. His eyes drooped heavily and he stifled a yawn.

"That was radioactive!" Carlos shouted gleefully. They all agreed, and placed their instruments back in their spots.

"Ready to stack some z's then, Kendall?" Logan asked coyly. Kendall slapped him up-side the head playfully. "_Whaaaat?"_ Logan asked, trying his best to look offended.

"You know, _what,_" Kendall scoffed. "You're implying that I drank too much, and that I'm about to pass out, or something."

"We _all_ drank too much," James said, yawning as well.

"Logan didn't," Carlos pointed out. "He's the '_goody two shoes'_ of the group. Isn't that right, Logan?"

Logan threw him a disapproving look. "Not according to Kendall. He says I'm reckless, and I bring home ax-murderers."

James laughed. "I wouldn't mind wrestling an ax out of some chick's hand now, if she was a real barn burner, that is. It might even be a real gas," he purred, strutting around.

"Earth to James. You know you're kookie, and sound just like Logan, don't you? He get's a real thrill out of danger too," Kendall said, swaying a little when he stood.

Logan supported him, by taking a hold of his arm. "I like a chase, maybe more than I should...but I know there is a difference between cruisin', and bruisin'," Logan said.

_"Sure.._." mumbled Kendall, not sounding convinced.

They teetered down the hall to the back rooms, switching out the lights, as they went. Kendall fell face-first into his bed, and heaved a heavy sigh. Logan flipped Kendall's shoes off, and tugged an afghan up to his waist.

"You really should just strip me," Kendall mumbled, into the mattress.

"Yeah..uh...no," Logan said. Kendall laughed devilishly.

James and Carlos were brushing their teeth at the bathroom vanity, with the water running in the sink.

"Did you hear something?' Carlos asked, eying the frosted bathroom window.

James shrugged,. "Probably just Kendall hitting the wall, or somthin', he garbled, through the toothpaste foam.

Logan came bolting through the bathroom entrance. "Guys? Did you just hear something?" he asked nervously, eyes wide.

"Guess not," James added.

Carlos clung to Logan, and stared at that window, as if he expected someone or something, to crash through it at any given moment.

"James spit out the toothpaste, and dabbed at his mouth with a hand towel. "Chill out, boys," he purred. "You look like little girls! It's probably just the wind or an animal, of some sort."

"I distinctly remember you saying, that it was probably Logan and Kendall-" There was another thump. This time all three boys huddled together.

Kendall's snores suddenly drifted down the hallway, making them jump. James pushed the boys aside, desperately trying to maintain his dignity. "Let's go check it out, and then get some rest. We have a lot of people to do tomorrow."

Logan rolled his eyes at the obvious connotation. They walked carefully down the hallway, pausing to glance at Kendall's sleeping form, and entered the living room. There in the picture window, were the shadows of four figures on the porch. They screamed, and the four shadows screamed back.

**Thanks for reading! Things are about to get wild or shall I say radioactive?**

**Crumpet**


	3. A Midsummer Night's Dream

The shadow figures lurking on the porch, took off running.

"Call the police!" Carlos yelled. James bolted for the phone, dragging the cord as far as it would stretch off of the wall, so that he could still be near the others. To hell with dignity, he thought, leaning into the side of Logan.

"Wait! I think that they're as afraid of us, as we are of them!" Logan said. He was standing to the side of the window and peeking through a division in the drapes. He could see four girls in the dark, running down the embankment. The shadows from the outdoor lights, clearly showed the silhouettes of pony-tails, bobs, and breasts. One was even wearing a poodle skirt.

"It's-" Logan began. One girl turned around to see whether they were being chased, before disappearing. By the light of the moon, Logan immediately recognized her as the driver of the aqua convertible.

"Who do you see?" James asked, peering out a second too late.

"I-I couldn't tell," Logan lied. "It just looked like some kids to me." He knew that none of them would be happy with him for drawing the strangers to their beach house, especially Kendall, who had warned him many times about the consequences of his reckless behavior.

"Really? Are you sure? Because I had a really bad dream the other night that some big burly guys broke in, and knocked us all out cold!" Carlos cried.

"Well Carlos, I'm pretty p-positive that these were _not,_ big burly guys," he assured them.

James looked at Logan suspiciously, and slowly replaced the receiver on the cradle. Not only had Logan stammered like he always did when he was lying, but he was awfully calm for actually seeing the would-be intruders.

"Well, I for one, am not going to be able to sleep tonight," Carlos whined.

"Aw! I'll protect you, Carlos!" James said, giving him a playful rub on the top of his head. "You can sleep in my bed tonight, okay?"

"Really? I can?"

James laughed. "Sure." Logan shook his head.

"Wait...you're not going to forget it's me again, and put the moves on me, are you?" Carlos asked.

James shrugged. "I don't think so," he said, not giving Carlos any eye-contact. He walked to the door and double-checked the bolts. "Hey, why did these guys in your dream wanna' knock us out, again?"

"I don't know. I woke up too soon." Carlos tested the window locks. "You know, at home we barely ever lock the doors or windows. With my dad being a cop and all..."

"Isn't it going to get too stuffy in here, if we seal the place up like a vault?" Logan asked.

Carlos flipped the switch to the ceiling fan, and it began to hum and twirl. "Better hot, than attacked," he said.

"Actually the two together, sounds real fine," James teased, swatting Carlos on the rump.

"Maybe I will just take the risk and sleep alone," Carlos said.

Logan laughed. "You are feeling a bit frisky tonight, aren't you, James?"

"Yeah, well I'm excited about the party tomorrow night. Besides, you guys know by now, that I'm frisky _every _night."

"So are we. We just don't show it as much!" Logan said.

xxx

Kendall had slept through the screaming, without ever even moving from his face-down position on his bed. Logan watched him for a moment, feeling a bit guilty. After all, he was responsible for the girls who had spied that evening. He hoped that it would just be the end of it, and that the girls would just-wait... Kendall had invited them to the party the following day, hadn't he?. A nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach, that the girls were going to be trouble for them in the future, just wouldn't go away.

Kendall mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, and rolled over on his side, trying to get more comfortable with his long legs still dangling from the bed. Logan sighed, and walked over to help situate him. He tugged the larger boy back onto the green plaid bedspread, and unsnapped the snug jeans. He was about to pick up the afghan that he had kicked off, and re-cover him, when Kendall suddenly rolled off of the bed and onto the floor with a thud.

"I love you too..." Kendall murmured, smacking his lips.

"Kendall!" Logan whispered. There was no response. He debated what to do. Kendall was curled up now on the hard wood floor. He put his arms under the boy's armpits and tugged. Surprisingly Kendall responded enough to work himself back onto the bed before falling back into an alcohol-induced slumber, but not before uttering some mysterious words first.

"Logan...you feel...so good...why you do this...to me..." Logan's head snapped back to look at the sleeping blond. He edged closer to see if he was awake, and just teasing him. A loud snore escaped instead and a, "Mmmmmmm?" before he fell back into a pattern of even, deep breathing.

Logan climbed into his own bed, and clasped his hands behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the whirling fan cast shadows, as it spun in the semi-darkness. He knew that he should turn off the light and try to get some sleep, but he couldn't stop studying Kendall. What had he been dreaming about? Did it even mean _anything?_ He wondered how mad Kendall was going to be with him, when he inevitably heard about the late-night visitors from Carlos and James, the next day.

xxx

The morning light shone through the blinds of James and Carlos' room. Not taking James seriously about sharing a bed, Carlos sat up in his own bed and stretched. James was still asleep, so he took a moment to recount the events from the night before. Lets see...a lot of beer...some horsing around...and peeping toms.

Carlos yawned loudly. James sat upright and blinked. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Carlos greeted him.

"Uhhhhhh..." James groaned, and plopped back down into his pillows.

"A little fuzzy today?" Carlos pushed.

"How is it that, you're smaller than me, but you seem to be able to handle more liquor, than I can?" James asked in exasperation.

"Simple. I eat more."

"That's it? That's the secret?"

"That's the secret," Carlos said with a big grin.

"But, beer makes me feel so full."

"Don't eat all day, then graze when you drink," Carlos suggested.

"Graze? What are we cows?"

"I learned that word from Logan," Carlos said proudly.

"Figures," said James.

Logan was already in the bathroom, standing at the sink. He was studying the day's worth of stubble on his chin. He hadn't slept well, and he was beginning to dread the party that evening for some reason. He lathered up the shaving cream in his hands, and smeared it on his cheeks. He turned on the hot water, and dipped the razor blade under the stream.

"Can I pee real quick, Logan?" Kendall suddenly asked from the doorway.

"Shit!" Logan cursed, jumping and nicking his hand.

"Sorry! Why are you so damn jumpy?" Kendall asked, relieving himself into the toilet.

Logan hissed when he ran the hand under cold water. It dripped a steady stream of crimson onto the stark white porcelain.

Kendall flushed the toilet and nudged Logan's hand over, so he could adjust the faucet knobs and wash his hands. Logan bit his lower lip and waited patiently for him to finish.

"Here," Kendall said softly, when he was through. He ran the hand under the cold water again, and pressed down firmly on the cut.

"Why you so nervous, Logan?"

"I don't know."

"You're the expert on medical junk. What do we do now?" Kendall asked.

"Gauze. And I kind of think my level of medical expertise ended, where we formed the band."

Kendall dug through the medicine cabinet until he located the package of gauze. He unwound a strip, and snipped it with the scissors. He wound it around the hand and smiled. "So, how's my work?"

Logan looked it over. "Good. You do everything with finesse though, Kendall."

Kendall flashed his dimples at him. "You bet I do."

"What's goin' on," Carlos asked sleepily, scratching his head in the open door. "Ew!" he added when he saw the blood in the sink basin.

"Logan spazzed and cut himself shaving," Kendall volunteered.

"You shave your hands?" Carlos asked, noticing the gauze wrap.

"Very funny," Logan retorted, squeezing past the shorter boy. He ran into James in the hallway.

"Whoah! What are you all crowding in the bathroom at the same time, for?" he asked.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, James," Kendall said.

"Fine. What happened to you, Logan?" he called back over his shoulder, as he shut the door.

"Shaving accident!" Kendall called out, over the sound of James' peeing. James exited, giving them all a funny look.

"Can I just finish shaving now?" Logan asked.

xxx

The property surrounding the beach house was almost ready. The colored paper lanterns were strung through the tree branches, and the tiki torches were in place. James had dug a pit for the crab bake and Logan had gathered the supplies for the cooking. Carlos was setting up the buckets for the drinks and placing the chairs in the sand. They had even started piling the firewood for the bonfire.

"It's great weather!" cried Carlos, standing up on the deck. "Just perfect for a party." He pulled his black tank top off over his head, and closed his eyes to the cool ocean breeze. It tickled the exposed skin, and cooled the perspiration that was trickling between the bronze pectoral muscles of his chest, and made his nipples stand erect. James tweaked one.

"_Owwww, _James!" Carlos scolded, slapping his hand away. James snickered.

"I'm bringing out my guitar tonight," Kendall said, to no one in particular.

"We haven't talked about bringing people you know... inside," Carlos said.

"I'm okay with it," said James, shrugging.

"I guess they'll want to use the bathroom, at some point," agreed Kendall.

"What about those-those girls?" asked Logan, testing the waters.

"_Those girls,_ will be _your_ sole responsibility," Kendall said, without looking up. He continued to set the glass hurricane globes on the tables, and insert the light blue candles inside. Logan swallowed a lump that had formed in the back of his throat.

"Hey...you don't think that those kids last night were..." Carlos trailed off. "They were... you know, the girls staking out the place the other night?"

Kendall stopped, his hand mid-air, and turned to face Logan. "It could very well be those psychotic girls, that Logan brought home."

"I didn't _bring_ them home. They followed."

"Yes Logan, I know all about our late night visitors, that came while I slept. I was completely unaware that my life was hanging by a thread," Kendall grinned.

"More like while you were zonked out, talking in your sleep, and falling off of the bed," Logan corrected.

"Ha!" laughed Carlos.

"I_ don't_ talk in my sleep!" said Kendall.

"You did last night," said Logan, laying down some tongs by the side of the grill.

"Oh yeah? Then, what did I say?"

Logan looked away, his face suddenly serious. He shrugged.

"Ooooooooh! It must have been good!" Carlos cried.

"He'll never tell!" Kendall said, throwing Logan a warning look.

"We don't have enough plates and napkins, guys," James interrupted, taking the conversation in an entirely new direction.

xxx

"How did _we_ get stuck doing the shopping?" Logan griped.

"Because, Mr. Hot-shot Party-King, felt like we were a couple of crumbs when it came to decorating, remember?"

"Oh yeah, and why are we decorating again? I thought that this was just supposed to be a cool, laid-back get together. Not some flashy cocktail party," Logan muttered. "It's just not cool."

"Since when has _that,_ ever stopped James? Don't worry, our parties seem to rock no matter what."

"That's because ever since we played that one gig, every one knows who we are," Logan said.

"Even before that gig, our parties were a hit."

"True."

They loaded Kendall's trunk with the bags of groceries, and the odds and ends that James had requested on his seashell note pad. "How much crap do we need!" Kendall complained, trying to cram the last bag in.

"He's a perfectionist," Logan said.

"Before we go back," Kendall said, slamming the trunk closed, "you're going to enlighten me about this whole sleep-talking thing."

"Just forget about it, Kendall. I really don't know what all you were babbling about-"

Kendall took a hold of Logan's jaw, and turned him toward him. "Cut the crap! Just tell me what I said last night! You're acting all weird, so I know I must have said _something."_

"Okay! You said something about...why are you doing this to me...or something like that."

The corner of Kendall's mouth curled up slightly, until it formed a crooked grin, and he leaned back to rest against the tail-end of his black Chevy Classic.

"Maybe it was about that reoccurring dream that I always have about you," he said.

Logan took his place beside him on the back bumper and leaned back. He focused on a middle-aged couple who were in the process of loading their own car with groceries. They seemed happy together.

"You're walking down a _loooong_ pathway, blocked off at the end by a sea of girls. I part the sea to find you lying there on the ground, stripped completely naked. You're covered in bright pink, orange and red lipstick prints from head to toe. I try to save you...but I'm not sure if you're even breathing. I take off my jean jacket and place it over you-to you know..." he hesitated for effect, and glanced slyly over at Logan. Logan's mouth dropped wide, and he shook his head, as he folded his arms across his chest. He sunk lower down on the bumper, and let him continue. "-to give you some dignity," Kendall finally finished, with a hitch in his voice.

"Kendall-" Logan pleaded.

"I lift you up into my arms, and I carry you back down the pathway. The sea of girls follows, of course. Their arms are outstretched, and they're calling for you. Logan...Logan..." Kendall chanted theatrically, the back of his hand to his forehead. He looked over at Logan with a sideways grin, and snapped his fingers suddenly, making Logan jump. **"Then I wake up!"**

Logan looked up at him from under his dark lashes with exasperation, and shook his head again. "What the hell is wrong with you, Kendall!"

Kendall released his loudest, heartiest of laughs, startling the couple, who turned to eye him with reproach. "Well, if my dream _were_ to come true, it's not like you wouldn't deserve it!" Kendall tossed his keys up into the air and caught them. "Let's go!"

"You never even had that dream." Logan muttered, going around to his side to wait for Kendall to open the door.

"I left it open, and yes...I have," Kendall said, suddenly somber. He climbed into the driver's side, leaving Logan with just the slightest sliver of a doubt in his mind, that he had.

**Thanks for reading folks! This is going to be a crazy ride! Let me know what you think and I will take all comments into consideration. I have a break right now, and want to know which stories to focus on the most. Missing In Motion of course.. and?**

**Thanks a bunch!**

**Crumpet**


	4. By The Light Of The Moon

**A/n: Hey there! Thanks for the reviews! I enjoyed the trending BTW...;) I want to thank trannce sea, Mr. Badass, HappyDazeChick, Physco WiTh A CaPiTaL S, bubzchoc, winterschild11, and of course all of the hilarious and entertaining anonymous reviewers! O.O You know who you are! **

**As far as that all goes, you just never know...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush, not even the 1950's version!**

James put the finishing touches of grease on his hair, combing the sides back smooth and the top down sleek. Logan grinned over his shoulder, when he knelt to check his handiwork.

"Lookin' good James!" he teased, studying his own perfectly coiffed hair.

"Yeah, you too. Kind of a shame to ruin it in the water, but you know we always end up doing just that."

"_You,_ always end up doing just that. Usually with some dolly you barely even know, and in your birthday suit!" Logan laughed.

"Well, what's the point of a beach party, if there isn't any skinny-dipping?"

"You're a cad, James." Logan said with a half-grin.

"You know it. And, you're not, by the way?" James asked, eying him as he added a bit more pomade to his hair.

"You know that I'm just a big tease," Logan said with a wink.

"What's this about being a big tease?" Kendall asked, peeking his head around the doorway. "Move over," he said, bumping Logan with his hip. He finger-combed some grease into his blond locks, and let it fall thickly over his forehead. The tousled look suited him.

"None of your business, James Dean."

"Oh, Logie. You know that _everything you do_, is my business."

Carlos stood in the doorway. "Any room for me?" He laughed.

"Sure," Kendall said, scooting further into Logan, and knocking him slightly off-balance. Logan knocked him back playfully.

Carlos squeezed a generous amount of grease into the palm of his hand, and combed it heavily into his hair. He slicked it back, giving it a wet look, and leaving just a hint of volume at the crown. It shone smooth like black licorice, and complimented his small features nicely.

"Your hair looks yummy," James murmured, nuzzling the smaller boy into the crook of his arm. Carlos shook his head, grinning from ear to ear.

All four boys stood before the mirror, various degrees of grease in their hair, checking one another out. James wore a form-fitting, blood-red, open-neck shirt, a pair of wide-leg sailor jeans, and black and white converse shoes. He splashed on some Chanel Pour Monsieur, and smiled wide at his reflection.

"Yes James, you_ are_ a hunka'- hunka', burnin' love," Kendall teased.

"Tell me 'bout it," James said, posing in the doorway.

Logan watched Carlos straighten his black belt under his snug-fitting, white tee-shirt. He wore black fitted jeans over black swim trunks, and black lace-up boots.

"Guys, do you have your trunks on underneath, too?" he asked.

"Of course," said Kendall, yanking out a handful of white fabric. Carlos looked at James.

"No need for trunks," James said, his eyes half-lidded, in his sexy way.

Carlos reached for his black leather jacket on the hook in the hall. Logan smiled, his eye-brows arching as he looked him over. "I have mine on too," he said, tugging the blue fabric over the top of his waistband, "and might I add, you're looking pretty badass tonight, Carlitos."

"Thanks," Carlos said proudly, running a hand through his hair one last time. He grinned at Logan. "Maybe I'll get lucky, then. And look at you..."

He slowly looked Logan up and down, from head to toe. Logan didn't use as much grease as he did, but he certainly rocked the pompadour and sideburns. He kept the sides smooth, leaving an abundance of lush dark hair on top. He wore dark blue dungarees, cuffed wide, a fitted black tee-shirt under a dark blue jean- jacket, and black slip-on loafers.

"Yeah, now he can _tease_ some girls tonight. No cardigans or sweater vests for him this time. Preppie just went Neo," Kendall said. " Your derriere in those jeans by the way, is the bomb."

"This is party-wear," Logan said, flashing his dimples.

"Mmmmm-hmmmm..." Kendall said softly. He wore a pale pink button-down shirt, and light blue jeans with white buck shoes.

"And, Kendall here," Logan said, staring deeply into his intense green eyes, " looks like a delicious cupcake tonight." Kendall chased Logan out of the room with a bottle of No. 89 cologne in his hand.

"Kendall, no! It will clash with mine!" Logan squeaked, racing down the hall.

"Those two," James said, rolling his eyes. "They fight like brothers."

"We're all brothers, " Carlos said, watching the handsome boy put toothpaste on his toothbrush.

"Or, they're more like an old married couple," James said, pausing for effect. Carlos laughed.

xxx

It was dusk, and the moon loomed large and low on the horizon. It shone silvery white in the deep purple of the sky, and shimmered across the water. The boys sat watching the waves break on the shore in complete silence. It was the calm before the chaos. A time for serenity before the guests arrived. The smoke from the applewood chips wafted on the air, and Carlos rubbed his belly.

"Mmmmm...that smells so good," he said.

"Then you're craving applewood chips, because that's all that you're smelling," Logan said.

"I know, but applewood chips make me think of food, so they make me hungry," Carlos explained.

"Pavlov's dog," Logan teased.

"What's that?" Carlos asked, tilting his head.

"Never mind," Logan replied.

Kendall clinked the ice around in his tumbler absent-mindedly, and watched the palm trees sway in the warm breeze.

"No beer yet. I'm impressed," Logan said, nodding at the turquoise aluminum container in his hand.

"I_ can_ take constructive criticism to heart, you know," Kendall said.

"Since when?" James ribbed.

"Since Logan gave me some last night, about my drinking habits," Kendall said with a somber expression.

"I'm thinking about getting a tattoo," Carlos said out of the blue.

"_What?"_ Logan asked. "I must have heard wrong, because-"

"No, you heard right. I said, I'm getting a tattoo before my next birthday."

"No, you're not," James said.

Now it was Carlos' turn to ask,_ "__**What?"**_

"You're not getting a tattoo. I don't want you to have a tattoo," James said.

"Since when, do I have to answer to you?" he asked indignantly.

"Now, he sounds like Logan!" Kendall said to James. "There are officially _two_ control freaks among us."

"_Me, _controlling? What about you? You were actually spying on me the other day, weren't you?" Logan accused. He saw Kendall tense. He seemed shocked that Logan had spoken of it. Logan studied his reaction, certain that he was correct now. He knew he saw Kendall's black car parked down the road when he was talking to one of the guys from the diner.

"Let's get the beers and sodas on ice, James," Kendall said, urging James to follow. The two walked off, leaving Carlos and Logan alone on the deck.

"Think he's pissed off?" Carlos asked.

Logan shrugged. "It's true. He was definitely spying."

xxx

The guests were beginning to arrive, and cars parked along the drive. Kendall had been avoiding Logan since his comment earlier, and he stood watching Kendall greet the guests without him.

"Hey, Daddy-O! What's shakin'?" he called to a carload of guys that they knew from the club where they played.

"Hey! Where's the beer?" they shouted from the car.

"That all you're here for?" Kendall asked, feigning hurt.

"And the chicks!" the red-headed boy chimed in, climbing out quickly.

"Of course! Logan over here, can set you up in _that_ department. He's probably invited enough dames to fill up a Tupperware party!" Logan threw Kendall a disapproving look.

"Cool beans!" the red-head said, tailing behind Logan, his new best buddy after hearing that.

The guys passed around the beers, and showed the guests where the food and condiments were. They had entertained many of the same people at earlier parties, but none at the summer beach house. The parties had always been held at James' parents house, now that they also resided in California, or on Carlos' uncle's private land.

"Who wants a burger?" James called from the grill.

"Oh, you look so cute in that red and white check apron," a tall blonde girl said, ogling him freely.

"Hi, I don't believe we've met," James said, eying her as well.

"We'll take six over here, James!" someone shouted. James waved and nodded.

"I'm friends with Maureen from the diner. She's the waitress that you told about the party. She'll be here later," she said. James beamed her a million-dollar smile.

The partygoers began to lay blankets down on the cool sand. Some stood on the deck where James was grilling. The area was lit by tiki torches, party lanterns and by the light of the moon. Carlos watched the teens mingle from where he sat, perched on a rail of the deck, feeling utterly alone even at the party. Everyone was milling about, socializing and laughing with one another. He wondered why it was, that he had plenty of admirers, yet no one to call his own.

The aqua and white convertible was fashionably late, rambling up the drive a bit too fast, and turning up dirt and sand. Logan turned to see the girls park haphazardly on a hill.

"Hi boys!" they called, as if the party had been on hold, pending their arrival. Kendall placed a hand on Logan's hip and his chin on his shoulder.

"I believe that your guests have arrived," he said with a snicker.

"Kendall...please. Come on. Just help me out this once...," Logan pleaded, getting nervous when he saw them barreling his way.

"Nope. They look like they're on a mission, and they're all yours. Put those flirting skills to use and lay down some of that charm," Kendall said with a smirk. He turned Logan back around to face the four girls and swatted him on the hip. "Go get 'em, cowboy," he whispered.

"Whe're you goin' cutie?" the brunette asked Kendall, tilting her head to the side coyly.

"Grabbing a beer. I'm sure Logan will show you around, though," he said.

She immediately tucked her arm through Logan's, in a possessive way.

After a half-hour of one-sided conversation with the girl affixed to his arm, Logan excused himself. "I'll catch up with you later. I have something to discuss with Kendall."

"Sure," she said, trying not to look too disappointed.

Logan searched for Kendall, only finding the other girls, sitting alone. He walked along the edge of the property and looked out to the ocean, wondering if he'd decided to go for a swim without him. A glowing red light caught his eye in the darkness. It was the tip of a burning cigarette, and he sensed that it was Kendall. He made his way over.

"Hey," Logan said, plopping down beside him.

Kendall took another puff. "Hey."

"I really hate when you ignore me, Kendall."

"Aw. I didn't know I meant so much to you, baby," he said.

Logan sighed and played with a seashell he found. "I'm sorry."

"I know. Especially now that you can't get rid of that chick."

"Who said I wanted to?" Logan asked slyly.

Kendall laughed softly, and ground the cigarette butt into the sand. "Logan, you can _never_ lie to me and get away with it. Remember that, and we'll always be cool." Logan swallowed and nodded.

Kendall stood and tugged Logan up by the hand. "Let's get back. We have fans, and future fans to impress," he said, keeping his arm around Logan's slender waist.

xxx

Everyone had either eaten the grilled burgers or the crab, and the beer supply was dwindling quickly. Kendall ignored the girl who followed him around most of the evening, despite his efforts to dissuade her.

"I wouldn't mind another beer," she slurred, wobbling a bit.

"Well, it looks like there aren't too many left in the buckets," Kendall said, digging through the ice. "Wouldn't you rather have a coca-cola?"

"No," she said with a pout.

"Here, last one!" he announced.

"Thanks!" she said, batting her eyes at him. "So am I going to get to hear you boys play tonight?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking about pulling out the old squeezebox," Kendall said. "Hang on a second. Carlos!"

Carlos walked over. "I was thinking we should gather 'round and sing some tunes," Kendall said.

"Sounds good, but James said we're low on drinks. I think I'll go grab some from the liquor store in town, while it's still open. Gotta' feed the getbuckets, right?"

"Taking the cycle?" Kendall asked, noticing that Carlos had his black leather on.

"Yeah, just a quick jaunt. Be back soon, then we'll play."

"I'll tell Betty that you'll be back soon!" the girl said.

Carlos hesitated and turned back around. "Betty?"

"Yeah. She's the one with black hair and green eyes. She thinks you're the cat's meow!" she said.

Carlos grinned. "Tell her, I think she's tops too!"

Carlos left, and the girl ran off with her beer to tell her friend. Kendall shook his head and laughed to himself. Looks like Carlos is going to get lucky after all, he thought to himself.

Logan spotted Kendall! "There you are! Are you avoiding me, again?"

"Yep."

"Come on Kendall," Logan whisper-yelled.

"See you when Carlos gets back with the beer. We're gonna' have a jam session when he does."

"Kendall, wait!" Logan called, stumbling in the sand to catch up. "Some of these under-aged girls are getting pretty tipsy, you know."

"Are you bein' a drag again, Logan?" James asked.

"Hey, James. Done serving all the chicks your gourmet burgers complete with a side-order of you?" Logan asked sarcastically.

"_Never!" _James said with a wink. "She just went in to use the powder room."

"I was just saying that-"

_"You_ are the one, who brought most of the under-aged girls here, Logan. They all followed _you_, not us!" Kendall scolded. Logan looked down at his feet.

"Look, we can't police everyone. Just go with the flow and have a good time," James said, slapping him on the back. "Oops, someone is looking for me." He walked off to meet the blonde.

"But, if Griffin hears of this, we are going to be-"

"Then, he can't hear of it!" James shouted over his shoulder.

Kendall walked off too, leaving Logan standing there alone.

xxx

Carlos pulled the visor down on his black helmet, and kick-started his motorcycle. It roared to life and he drove down the winding drive, stopping at the edge of the road. He looked both ways carefully before pulling out. He opened up the gears, to gain speed and headed out into the darkness of the country road.

Headlights immediately shone in his side-mirror. Where did you come from, Carlos wondered, certain that the road had been clear. The headlights stayed with him and he couldn't help but feel like they were tailing too close. He wasn't sure if the driver was chasing him, or just trying to intimidate him.

He veered off on a side road, checking to see if the driver would follow. The car turned as well, giving him a quick glimpse of a black muscle car. He sped up, attempting to lose them on the next turn. It sped up as well, and followed closely. Carlos approached the liquor store and pulled in close to the entrance. He swung his leg over the side and stood to face his foe.

The car pulled in slowly and came to a sudden stop. Two teens glowered at him. "Hey, you Carlos?" the blond boy asked.

"What's it to you?" Carlos asked, flexing his gloved hand.

"Stay away from my chick, man! If I hear that she was within a foot of any of you losers, we'll make mincemeat outta ya', got it?!"

"Oh yeah! Whose your girlfriend, anyway?" Carlos asked, puffing up his chest and trying to stand tall.

"Figure it out! She's at your bungalow now! Just consider yourself warned!"

"Does she drive an aqua and white Pontiac convertible, by any chance?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, that's right!"

"Why isn't she with _you_, then?!" Carlos shouted.

The boy flipped him the middle finger and spun the tires, rotating the car twice around, before speeding off down the dark road. The elderly man who owned the liquor store came running out, shaking his fist at the tail lights of the black car.

"Beatniks!" he shouted. "They better stay off my property," he muttered. "Comin' in? I'm closin' down early tonight. Don't need that riff-raff coming back and robbin' the joint!"

"Know who they are?" Carlos asked, going through the door that the old man held for him.

"I'm almost certain that it's that Danny Barton's son. He's the dirt of the town."

Carlos picked up a case of beer and set it on the counter. "That's all I need tonight," he said.

"Oh, Heineken. The good stuff. Buying for you and a little gal of yours?"

"Naw. Buyin' for a roommate. But, I may have a gal waiting for me when I get back."

"Well, stay vigilant on the way home. That trash is liable to mess with you. Far to go?"

"No, just up the road. I'll be careful. Thanks."

The old man bolted the door behind him. Carlos strapped the case of beer into the boot of his cycle and closed the lid. He looked around for any sign of the black car and climbed on.

xxx

James, Kendall, and Logan, had the crowd gathered around a bonfire. Kendall was softly strumming his guitar. The brunette laid at his feet on her stomach, hands supporting her chin, as she gazed up at him with awe. The girl who shadowed Logan all evening, was leaning into him. James had the blonde on his lap, making it difficult for him to hold his own guitar. He gave up and laid it down, allowing Kendall to play solo.

Kendall sang a ballad and the girl at his feet swooned. "Isn't he dreamy?"she whispered to her friend. Kendall watched Logan ignoring the girl he was with, and he smiled. He could see by the light of the moon that Logan was biting his lip, like he always did when he was in a predicament.

"Yes, he is! But where's Carlos?" the girl asked impatiently, craning her neck to see the driveway better. "We went through a lot of trouble to get the car back from Dad just so we could be here tonight, and my dream guy isn't even here!"

Logan, James and Kendall were just thinking the same thing. Where was Carlos? It shouldn't have taken him more than twenty minutes to make the trip there and back. He had been gone over thirty minutes, and they were all beginning to worry...TBC

**I am going to see what you guys think about this story, then decide where to go from there.**

** I'm thinking about changing it back to a T rating instead of M, just for a few chapters until things really heat up, so review and tell me what you want! So far I'm pleased with the response I've had. LOL! ^.^ Keep in mind Logan has been warned by Kendall never to lie! Just sayin...**

**Thanks for checking it out,**

**Crumpet**


	5. Lucky

**A huge woo-hoo to all of my crazy reviewers who are calling for some discipline action. Remember... things are just heating up ;) Stay tuned!**

**My classes start Monday, so I will only be updating the most reviewed ones first. If they all have a good number of reviews, I will find a way to update them all! I'm just nuts like that...:)**

**Thank you: winterschild11, trannce sea, LazyLazy writer, bubzchoc, HoToTrot, 1 Fan, S.O.S., and my fantasticly funny anonymous reviewers!**

Carlos squinted in the bright light. He raised a hand to shield his eyes and gather his wits. He could smell the strong odor of gaslone, oil and earth. He moaned and crawled out from under the heavy motorcycle, looking himself over for lost appendages or open gashes.

"Nice and slow there, little fella," a voice warned from above.

"_What?"_ Carlos asked, feeling disoriented. There was no way that God was speaking to him in that tone of voice.

"Come on out with your hands up, where I can see them," a deeper voice ordered.

_Were these people insane? _He had just been run off the road into a ditch, yet he was being treated as a criminal.

"What's your name, kid?" the first voice asked.

"C-Carlos," he stammered, "Carlos Garcia." He leaned over, attempting to upright the motorcycle.

"Okay, Carlos. Just leave the bike where it is, and clasp your hands behind your head. Walk real slow, and stand right over here." He drew a line with the toe of his boot, the only thing that Carlos could make out in the blinding light.

Carlos blinked rapidly, trying hard to understand what was happening, and wishing that they'd lower the tortuous flashlights. He was sore but he managed to pull himself out of the ravine and survey the site. He realized that he had been fortunate to skid his way into the ditch and drop the bike on its side, rather than be thrown from it.

He obeyed the man and limped over to stand at the designated spot, staring up at the two men whom he could clearly see were wearing police uniforms. Now, he could see the sideways- parked squad car with the flashing lights as well. Flares were blocking traffic from coming through, further down the road.

"You injured, Carlos?" the fisrt man asked.

Carlos shrugged. "I don't think so. Not too badly, anyway. I'm worried about my bike, though."

The officers peered down at the cycle still lying in the ditch. "Have any weapons on you, Carlos?"

"No." The taller one with the lower voice, patted him down thoroughly anyway.

"Good. You just stay put. We'll get you're bike out." They placed their weapons back in their holsters and together, lifted the bike out of the mound of dirt.

"Awww, man," Carlos grumbled, "It's filthy and the mirror is all messed up!"

"Yeah...we see that. You're damn lucky that you didn't kill yerself," the other one said calmly.

"Lucky I didn't kill myself? That carload of jerks, who purposely ran me off the road, should have to pay for it!" Carlos exclaimed.

The larger man swaggered over to where he stood, and made a production out of adjusting his holster. "Yeah, about that, Carlos," he said slowly, "see, that ain't never happened."

"_**What?!" **_Carlos said, shocked. They both closed in on him.

"You're gonna' clean up that bike, fix that mirror yerself, and make like it never happened."

"You're never gonna' speak of it, either," the other one clarified. "Just move on from all this. Catch my drift?"

"What?! I don't un-understand..." Carlos said quietly. The southern drawls were mesmerizing him.

"You heard us. You deaf, boy?"

"No-No, sir!" Carlos said nervously. He licked his dry lips and swallowed hard.

"It was an accident. Nothin' more," the taller officer said.

"R-Right," Carlos agreed, still clutching his sore thigh.

"Good boy. Now let's see if she'll start up fer you."

Carlos winced when he threw the sore leg over the seat and used the other to kick-start the cycle. It started right away, but sputtered a bit to clear the dirt from the tail pipe. He couldn't wait to get away from the two scrutinizing officers.

Actually, he was beginning to wonder if the men were even real police officers to begin with. They didn't sound like they were from California, and he couldn't imagine his own father doing something like this; telling an injured cyclist to just walk away and never speak of it.

"You be careful now, son. And remember," he said with a wink, "I wouldn't even tell my best friends about this incident."

Carlos nodded emphatically, and slowly pulled away, not exhaling until he rounded the corner and was far out of their scope of vision.

xxx

"Something's wrong. Carlos should be back by now," Logan whispered to James, who was still sitting with the blonde.

As if on cue, Carlos' motorcycle rumbled in the distance, kicking sand and rock up on the long winding drive. It was sounding a bit choppier than usual and Carlos was careful to cut the engine early, to walk it the rest of the way into the garage. He took a deep cleansing breath and brushed the dirt from his black pants and leather jacket. There was little that he could do about the limp but grin and bear it.

He lifted the hatch of the storage compartment and removed the case of beer. He found that two of the bottles had shattered against one another upon impact. He tossed then into the bin and traveled on.

"Hey!" he called cheerfully, spotting the boys waiting for him anxiously.

"Are you all right?" Kendall asked, reaching to remove the case of beer from his hands.

"Yeah, just took a while to chat with Mr. Richards. Catch up on all the gossip," Carlos said nonchalantly.

"Are you limping, Carlos?" Logan asked, studying his gait.

"Ah, Doctor Mitchell! I'm fine, just have a rock in my boot or something." Logan didn't believe him, but played along.

"Where's James?' he asked, trying to divert the conversation away from himself.

"He's still down there, playing beach blanket bingo with that blonde," Kendall said laughing.

Footsteps sounded behind them, and they turned to see the red-headed boy and his friends heading their way with their own cases of beer.

"I saw that you guys were running low on foam, so we went and got some!" Sport yelled. "Hey Carlos! Did you see that some coppers had Fifth and Lotus blocked off with flares? Must have been an accident or something. We had to go all the way around to Eigth and Calendula, before heading this way!"

Logan and Kendall stared at Carlos, wondering why he hadn't mentioned it. "N-No," Carlos stuttered. "I must have just missed it."

Cheering sounded from the beach. The boys turned to see what the hoopla was about. **"Skinny**-**dipping!"** some were shouting.

"Looks like things are starting to heat up!" Kendall smirked.

Kendall's admirer came running up, breathless. "Looks like you have _two_ admirers, Carlos!" she gushed. "Sandy likes you too! They'll just have to duke it out for you, I guess! Come on!"

"Lead the way!" he said good-naturedly.

She grabbed Kendall's hand with one of hers, Carlos' with the other, and tugged them toward the crowd. Carlos tried not to cry out when his leg was set in motion, and grimaced his way down the hill. Logan followed behind, more suspicious than ever.

xxx

It wasn't long before half of the party was either drunk, skinny-dipping, or both. The girl with Logan was feeling her own drinks, and began to ramble on about how jealous her boyfriend would be of him, if he ever found out.

"Does he know that you're here?" he asked in a squeaky voice.

"He prob-probably followed us-_hiccup_-us and does know..." she slurred. Logan rolled his eyes. Stupid girl, he thought to himself.

"He'll kill all o'you if he shows up! _Hiccup!"_

"Look, you're a really cool girl and all, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now," Logan explained, unwinding the arms, that she had wrapped around his neck with the strength of a python.

"Who said n'thing 'bout relationship? Let's juz have a lil' fun," she purred, breathing the fire of vodka into his face.

"Have you been drinking hard liquor?" he asked in surprise. She began to giggle at the boyish expression on his face, and continued to laugh harder with each twitch he made.

"Yer so..._ha ha..._yer so..._ha ha ha..."_ He struggled to keep from falling down with her. She pulled him toward the shore and wrestled with his fly.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" He gasped. She giggled hysterically, and tried again to unbutton the snap of his jeans.

"You haf trunks on under there...what's the big deal? _Hiccup!_"

"Yes, but I wasn't planning on going in just yet," he mumbled, looking over her swaying head for any sign of the others.

It was as if she had three sets of hands, and in a matter of seconds, she pulled the jeans down to his knees. He protested, but finally gave up and kicked the jeans aside. He barely had his shirt off, when she began to race to the water with him. He stumbled, blinded by the shirt over his face, and wiggled free just in time to be shoved into the cold sea.

She screamed when she hit the water and drug Logan under with her. He choked on a wave and spit it out as he resurfaced, only to find her gone. Where was she? He looked all around, but there was no sign of her. His heart skipped a beat. He wasn't thrilled with her company but he knew that she was intoxicated, and he certainly didn't want her to drown. Now, what was her name again? He thought it was Betty.

"Betty!" he called. "Betty!" The waves crashed noisily against the sand, and he could hear the squeals of a dozen or more other girls along the beach. He began to panic. His heart sped up. They didn't need the bad publicity that would come along with a drowning either. "Betty!"

A pair of cold wet hands covered his eyes from behind. Logan screamed, but relaxed, relieved to have found her. "Hey flirt!" Kendall said, laughing.

"Kendall!" Logan exclaimed, twirling around to face him. "I-I lost her! I think she might have drowned!" He continued to spin in circles, looking for any sign of distress in the water.

"Relax! Some dude showed up for her, and they're arguing over there by the cabana," Kendall said. He kneaded Logan's tense shoulders. "She was playin' you, then saw that Muscles over there showed up, and she ran to him. Bad break, eh?"

"No," Logan breathed a sigh of relief. He grinned at Kendall. "I didn't want her to die, but man I sure am happy to get her off my neck!"

"How come?" Kendall teased. "She's fast, just like James goes for... and well you know how that always ends. You cold have gotten lucky tonight, Logan!" He winked mischievously.

Logan shook his head. "I'm not into the fly-by-night type. You know that by now, Kendall."

Kendall laughed, reached over, and dunked Logan's head beneath the water. Logan popped back up, sputtering and wiping the hair from his eyes.

"I'm gonna' get you for that!" he threatened, swimming toward him with intent. Kendall emitted a high-pitched girlish scream and swam further out. Logan dove under and caught Kendall by the legs. He kicked like a fish and slipped out of his grasp, laughing tauntingly from where he resurfaced.

"Ha! I escaped! Hey, I forgot to ask, are you au naturel, under there?" Kendall asked in a low voice.

Logan chuckled. "No! You?"

"Yep," Kendall said slyly.

Logan began to shiver visibly. "Cold?" Kendall asked.

"Little bit, I guess," Logan said, his teeth chattering together.

Kendall frowned. "But, it's a nice night," he remarked. He looked up at the dark clear sky.

"I'm okay," Logan said quickly.

"Naw. Let's go ashore and get you warmed up."

They swam back, and Logan climbed out first, tossing Kendall the discarded swim trunks. "Awww, party-pooper," Kendall scolded. He tugged them on and raced to catch up.

Logan grinned and dropped wearily to his back on the cool sand. Kendall laughed. "Boy are you going to be sorry. You're going to find sand in places that you didn't even know existed," he said with a grin.

Logan grinned back. "I believe I will."

"I'll be right back. Don't move." Logan sighed. That was a loaded statement, coming from Kendall.

Kendall returned with two dry towels, his pink button-down, and two bottles of beer. Logan sat up and reached for the bottle, eying it warily.

"It's just a beer, Logan. And...it's the good imported stuff that Carlos picked up, specifically for; Your Highness."

"Aw! He didn't have to do that!" Logan said jovially.

"You know Carlos! Always worried about everyone's happiness."

Logan took a swig, amazed at how refreshing it tasted just then. "Good stuff," Logan said. "Cheers!" He bumped his bottle into Kendall's.

"Cheers, my friend. First, go wash that sand off so you can get warm. You're trembling again," Kendall said.

Logan shook his head. "I don't feel like getting wet again."

"Go!"

"All right, bossy!" He went to the water and slowly walked in up to his waist. Kendall reached around startling him again, and helped rub the sand from his skin with the cool water. Logan shook harder in the night air.

"Better?" Kendall whispered. Logan nodded and swallowed. Kendall's eyes were as shimmery as the moon's reflection on the water. Without hesitation, he wrapped his own arm around Kendall and pulled him closer.

"Now, I am," he whispered back.

Back at the towels, Logan sat down and tucked his knees to his chin to better warm his wet body. He noticed two girls watching them from down the way. "Someone is beckoning to you with her eyes," Logan teased.

"Someone is dissing her, with his eyes," Kendall retorted.

Logan smiled. "Not interested?"

"Are you _crazy?_ Did you see the size of her boyfriend? I like a challenge every once in a while, but I'm not suicidal!"

"No! They're all here? Uninvited?" Logan squeaked.

"Something tells me, they don't wait for the invitation to join a party. Especially, when their girlfriends are already there," Kendall pointed out. He motioned toward the couples already pairing up.

"Where's James and Carlos?" Logan asked suddenly, worried about the other two's safety.

"Stay here. I'll go check up on them and grab us another beer." Kendall ran a palm down Logan's bare arm. "Goosebumps," he murmured softly. "Going to admit that you're cold, now?"

"A bit," Logan conceded. "I'm kind of nervous about those guys showing up too."

"Well, _that's _why you don't let strange girls that you don't know, follow you home. You never know what strange boyfriends they might have. Here, put this on." He threw his shirt around Logan's shoulders and rubbed his biceps. "Warm up."

Logan watched his lanky friend saunter off, feeling even more guilty about the girls than he had earlier.

xxx

James was enjoying the admiration that the blonde, he now knew as Grace, showered upon him. She stroked the back of hair with her long fingers. "You have to be the handsomest boy I've ever laid eyes on," she cooed.

He gave her a dazzling smile in return of her compliment. "Well, you are rather beautiful yourself," he said, nuzzling into her neck. She giggled. " So Grace, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Not per se," she said, coyly. "It's a sporadic relationship, and I think of him as a big brother more than anything," she said.

"_How _big?" James asked sheepishly.

"That big!" she exclaimed, when she found her boyfriend looming over them. "Kurt! What are you doing here?!"

James jumped to his feet, dropping the blonde to hers with a thump. A brawny young man stood there with his arms folded across his chest, still wearing his Navy uniform, and sporting a platinum crew cut.

"I might ask you the same question!" he said angrily, looking James up and down. James' eyes darted around, noticing Carlos' big brown orbs peeking over the top of the lilac bushes.

"I thought that you weren't on leave until next week!" she said accusingly.

"I wasn't," he said smugly, "but I caught wind of the fact that you were sweet on some boy from a rock n' roll get-up, and I changed my plans," he said through his big clenched teeth.

James backed away while the two bickered. "You really shouldn't surprise a gal like that. It isn't gentlemanly at all," she reasoned.

"And it's not lady-like to sit on some jake's lap, when you already have a fiancée!" he threw back. He glared at James' retreating form, as he inched closer to where Carlos was hiding.

James raised his palms. "Fiancee!" he squealed, "Hey Pops, I don't want any trouble here," he whimpered.

"Who you callin' Pops!"

Carlos jumped out from behind the bush, wincing when his sprained leg protested. "Yeah! We don't need a brawl on our property, mister! Just take your girlfriend and scram!" he yelled.

Kurt debated whether to take the confrontation any further. He looked at the boys, then back at his girlfriend. He shook his head. "You guys can have her! See ya' around, baby!" he announced, storming back down the drive to his jeep.

"Kurt!" she cried forlornly. "Where are you going?" He angrily flicked a hand in her direction and walked away faster. She stomped her Keds furiously on the surface of the deck.

"Of all the nerve!" she fumed. "He can't break up with me like that!" She stared at James, wide-eyed.

James shrugged. "Chase after him?" he suggested, all hopes of a good time with the blonde squelched by the uninvited guest.

"You know, you have some nerve too!" she spat out. She chased after the jeep.

Carlos turned toward the lilac bushes. "You can come out now, May!" he called.

The strawberry blonde appeared from behind the bushes and grinned at her hero. "I thought she was a brunette," James whispered. Confused.

"That one's Dee," he whispered back. "She's waiting for me over there." Carlos giggled and James could see that his eyes were a bit glassy.

"Carlos? How much have you had to drink?" James asked. Carlos showed him 'a tiny pinch' gesture, and giggled again.

James pouted. Carlos was having more fun than him, and he definitely was going to get lucky. "Your new nickname is Lucky!" James said, folding his arms and thrusting out his lower lip.

Carlos sobered for a moment, thinking about the mysterious police officers earlier that evening who had called him lucky. I don't know about that, he thought to himself.

xxx

Kendall was silent as he watched the waves roll in. Logan had finished the last of his beer and rested his chin on his forearms, knees still tucked tightly to his chest. His eyes were drooping and he fought the urge to close them. Kendall glanced over, to see the dark brown eyes shadowed with lashes, and his body still. He rested a hand on his back.

"Logan?" he said softly. There was no response. He'd already assumed that he was asleep when he'd stopped talking a while back, but now it was confirmed. He couldn't help but smile. Logan's limit was three beers and he had drunk a fourth. It was his turn to put Logan to bed after one too many beers.

He stooped over and lifted him from the towel, holding him close to his body. He trod through the deep sand with the limp body in his arms. His head fell back over his arm, his mouth gaping. Kendall chuckled. Three girls in bikini tops and shorts stepped out of the shadows. They were twirling hula hoops around their waists.

"Kendall!" one called. "You're not calling it a night, are you?"

"'Fraid so. Shhhh! Your hula hoops will wake the dead!" he scolded.

"Ew!" she giggled, "He's not dead, is he?"

"'Course not!"

"Well, dump him and come back out to play with us!" she cried.

"Shhhhh!" he hissed. "No!"

She pouted. "Have fun with your boyfriend then!" she called, feeling scorned. "Drag!"

Kendall approached the door and found James sulking on the deck. A perky red-head was trying her best to cheer him up and hopefully get him to take an interest in her, while she was at it.

"Did he pass out?" James asked, surprised that Logan would do such a thing. Kendall nodded.

"One too many beers," he said. He tried to work the screen-door open with his knee.

"Awwwww..." the girl said, tilting her head to study the sleeping boy.

Carlos reappeared from the bushes, this time hand-in-hand with the girl. "Here, I'll help with that!" he offered. He released her hand apologetically and went to the door. "By the way Kendall, this is Gwen!"

Kendall nodded at her politely. "I believe we've met once before," Kendall said, "but it's nice to have a name to go with the face." Carlos stood there smiling. "Uh...Carlos, he's dead weight here."

"Oh! Sorry!" he apologized. He nudged the door open so that they could pass. "Be right back, Gwen!"

He followed him down the hallway and into the bedroom.

"I've got him now," Kendall said. "Go back and be with Gwen. You deserve some fun."

"Thanks," Carlos said appreciatively, and turned to leave.

"Carlos?"

"Yeah?"

"Just...be careful."

"Thanks," Carlos repeated. "Big bro," he added happily.

Kendall laid Logan down on the bed, and realized that he was still wearing the wet trunks. He went for a dry towel and slipped it under him. "I need to get those off," he said aloud. They had all seen each other without clothes before, but somehow it didn't feel right to undress Logan when he was passed out.

He thought for a moment, then went for another dry towel. He draped it over him and tugged the damp shorts down from underneath. He tossed them aside and threw his own knitted afghan over his body, tucking it snuggly around his hips. Logan stirred for a moment and moaned, but went back to sleep with his lips parted in peaceful slumber.

Kendall watched him settle for a bit, then leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "Goodnight my Logie-Bear," he whispered affectionately.

xxx

**This all ended well... so far. But, I'm afraid that life just isn't that simple for four popular boys on the rise, during the fifties. Actually their troubles are just about to begin...**

**Please drop me a review if you can. Anything else that you guys are hoping for? ^.^**

**Thanks,**

**Crumpet**


	6. Wanna' Race?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush**

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews winterschild11, BookWorkKendall, LazyLazyWriter, bubzchoc, SmileyFaceBitch, S.O.S. Shay, and other guests!**

**6. Wanna' Race?**

Logan awoke the next morning with a churning in his stomach and a headache to match. He fought the lingering fatigue to try and remember how the night concluded. He saw that Kendall's bed was empty. He stretched and yawned, wincing when even that was too painful. When he emitted a groan, the door swung open immediately.

"Awake, sleepyhead?" Kendall asked with a mischievous look in his eyes.

Logan groaned again and rubbed his eyes. "At least I woke up alone. I'm never doing that to myself again."

"Yeah-yeah. We know. Firewater is bad and we will burn in eternal hell for indulging in its unsavory goodness."

"No...firewater is bad because it makes me feel like absolute hell," Logan explained. Kendall shrugged and grinned wider.

"Well if it helps ease your pain a bit, I made all of us breakfast and it includes one of your favorites, fresh bagels and cream cheese."

Ahhh...That's great Kendall, but I don't think my stomach can handle food right now."

"Now, what is it that a certain brilliant guy always said? Oh yeah, food will soak up the evil firewater, and make tummy feel much better!" Kendall teased.

"Why do I sound like a Native American?" Logan teased back, in spite of his aching temples and queasy stomach. "Uh, could you hand me a pair of boxers? I seem to have lost mine."

Kendall tossed him a pair from the bureau and waited as he tugged them on underneath the sheet.

"You have anything to do with my nudity?" Logan asked quietly.

"Sure. I babysat your drunk butt and took off your wet trunks. Don't worry, I didn't see anything I haven't seen before."

"Didn't think you had. I'm anatomically correct in every way," Logan said with a grin. He felt a new twinge in his head and moaned. Kendall tilted his to the side and studied him. Suddenly he dove at the bed.

"Whoah!" Logan cried. "Eaaasy!"

Kendall laughed and ripped down the sheet. "Get up!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming...please just don't talk so loud," Logan murmured into his hands."What time is it anyway?"

"Noonish."

"Who says noonish, you crumb," Logan said.

"Yours truly, and he is getting very impatient! It's bad enough that we can't make sense of why Carlos is acting so strange today. He says that things went well with that chick last night, so I don't get it."

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about her. The brunette, right?"

"Nope, the redhead. He was on fire last night!" Kendall said with amusement.

"Now, only my stomach is on fire," Logan said with another moan.

Kendall reached down and swooped him up in his arms. "No, Kendall! Please! I just want to stay still!"

"Too bad!" Kendall said, accidentally banging Logan's shoulder into the door jamb on the way out.

Logan pretended to cry, still begging him for mercy, but Kendall continued down the hall and plopped him down into a chair at the kitchen table. The two boys already sitting there, just stared.

Kendall whipped away the sheet that Logan had managed to still cling to, and tossed it aside. He laid the bagel before him and set a glass of apple juice down with a thud.

"You okay, Logan?" James asked. "You don't look so well. Did you actually get loaded last night? I thought you guys were joking about how bad he was."

Logan laid his head down on the table and sighed heavily. They were never going to let him live this down. He picked up the glass of juice and drank thirstily. He glanced at the red wall clock and thought for a moment. "I have to shower," he said suddenly.

"Okay...so I thought we were all going to reminisce about the party last night and-"

"Later, I promise," Logan said with an urgency. He bolted from the table and raced to the bathroom.

"Sick, you think?" asked Carlos.

"Don't know," Kendall said, looking at the bathroom door suspiciously. "But, I was thinking about hanging out at the park with you guys, or something. Guess not."

"We'll go with," James said. "Not much else goin' on."

"Naw, forget it," Kendall said, walking back to the kitchen. He took the rest of his breakfast and tipped it in the trash bin, earning him curious looks from the remaining two.

xxx

Logan stood across from the diner, leaning against his red car casually. He knew that he was easy to spot in his yellow button-down and Letterman's sweater, but he was getting a little bolder each visit. He chewed his gum rhythmically, trying to calm his nervous jitters and sang along with the Platters crooning on his car radio, while he waited for the convertible to pull up.

The car was visible from down the road and his heart sped up. He shifted to get a better look at the approaching car and smoothed down the sides of his dark hair. The car rambled up and parked gracefully in its spot. The girls exited the vehicle, glancing, with friendly smiles.

He smiled back and lowered his head to watch them through his eyelashes. The sun peeked through the overcast sky, and he placed his sunglasses on and watched as they removed a few belongings from the backseat. Both girls were speaking to one another but he couldn't make out what they were saying from where he stood.

He had never made himself as vulnerable as he had for this girl. Some would even claim him to be arrogant, but this girl was stunning to him. Her ponytail swung playfully as she spoke, its curls glistening in the sunlight. Her blue-green eyes twinkled even from where he watched, and she had something special that he couldn't quite understand. She intrigued him, and it wasn't her perfect figure or that she was a budding actress, it was the complete package.

He thought about how the other guys might react if they discovered that he was smitten with the starlet. They all knew of her as one of the unattainable, even though they had come to find their own new-found fame. They all vowed never to allow themselves to fall too hard for anyone, especially not before they were famous but, Logan couldn't keep his promise.

He was trying so hard to control the attraction, but how could he when she was smiling back at him? Looking him up and down appreciatively, with those sultry eyes. He swallowed and stopped breathing for a moment, when she turned back to wave. He gave her what he hoped was a nonchalant wave back. She went into her family's diner and the door closed behind her. It wasn't long before her older brother came out to greet him.

"Hey Logan! What's shakin'?" he called. He was getting used to Logan's random visits.

Logan shrugged, wishing the hang-over wasn't so intense, and swallowed down the bile. He chewed the wad of gum more incessantly to push back the taste.

He watched the tall dark blond boy walk over and rest beside him. "You look a little ...hung-over?" he said uncertainly. "What brings you out this way?"

Logan laughed. "Yeah...I know. Not my usual style, but we had a get-together at the beach house last night. You should come to the next one."

"Want me to bring the Sis?" he asked, throwing Logan off of his game.

"Sh-Sure," Logan stammered. "That would be f-fine." Mitch grinned. "Okay," he said knowingly. "You're cool. Just let me know when. I gotta' get back in. My uncle wants this place to take off and...it ain't happen' yet," he whispered from the side of his mouth.

Logan nodded. "Good to see you guys...I mean _you,_" he emphasized, blushing.

Mitch snorted. "Good to see you too, cat."

He watched the boy re-enter the diner, and dangled his keys with a jingle. A party at their place would be a great way to get to know her.

Before he could climb into his car, a black car skidded to a screeching halt beside his cherry red one, and the boys inside ogled him mockingly.

"Aw, isn't he cute? All dressed up for someone, huh guys!" the blond boy said.

They laughed and peeled out, leaving a stripe of black on the pavement and shooting small rocks and debris into his space. One stone bounced off the side of the impeccable paint with a ping.

"Hey, idiot!" Logan yelled, hopping into his car.

He started the engine and sped after them. He lost them around the next bend, and slammed his palm on the dashboard in frustration. "Jerks," he mumbled aloud.

He went for a short drive, smiling at the people who waved at him with recognition. He didn't feel like going home. Sometimes he considered himself a loner. Before he knew it, he glanced down at his wrist, shocked to find that it was almost seven o'clock.

He was just headed back home after stopping for some sodas and chips to bring back to the guys, when a shiny black car pulled beside him. It was dark now, and he strained his eyes to see the driver. He couldn't be sure who it was, but it looked a lot like Kendall's hot-rod. He accelerated to catch up with the car. He wouldn't be surprised at all to find that Kendall was following him again. He always seemed to when he came out to see the girl. He increased his speed as he approached the stoplight, but the car darted off as soon as the signal turned green, and led him to a back road.

He immediately recognized the road as Hudson Raceway, as the kids had dubbed it. A place where daring teens faced off against one another, to see who was the fastest and bravest of the drivers.

His instincts told him to turn around and leave the shiny black car where it idled, gunning its engine provocatively...but his pride told him otherwise. It clearly was not Kendall, but he had a pretty good idea who it was: the same carload of boys who had taunted him earlier at the diner.

He took a deep breath, and pulled along the car, revving his own engine. He knew how fast his own car actually was. He had tested it on a vacant country road one evening when he was coming home alone. It had even surprised him, how much power the vehicle possessed. He could easily take these punks, he thought.

He glanced over at the dark tinted windows of the car beside him and smirked. "Come on losers, wanna' race?" he mouthed. The thrill of the race outweighed his common sense and the instinct to drive away.

The two cars sat side by side, engines racing. A boy with a hood pulled tightly around his face exited the black vehicle and stood in front of the cars, his hands poised to signal the start of the race. He slammed his hands down in one exaggerated swoop, and the two cars sped around him into the darkness.

Logan gave it full gas to pass the swerving vehicle, and he bit his lip in frustration when it threatened to overtake him. He laid into the gas pedal and the black car unexpectedly veered to the side, and flipped before his very eyes. Logan involuntarily jolted around in his seat, to see the car flip once more behind him, then catch fire.

"SHIT!" he screamed. The flames rose high in the night sky.

He spun the car around and slowly passed the burning wreckage. The tow-headed driver was shaking his fist at him, and yelling obscenities in his direction. The boy who had waved them off, was sobbing loudly. He did the first thing that his instincts told him to do this time.

He sped away from the crashsite, heart pounding in his ears, and headed for home. He pulled his red car up the winding driveway slowly, silencing the engine and resting his head on the steering wheel.

"Jesus Christ," he mumbled over and over. His whole body was trembling.

"Logan?" Carlos said, with obvious concern lacing his tone. "What's wrong?"

Logan's head shot up. "Nothing! I-I just feel awful. You know, too much beer last night." He ran a hand through his greased bangs.

"All right..."Carlos said, still studying his friend.

"What about you? Kendall said you weren't in the best of moods today, either," he said, trying to divert the attention away from himself.

"Uh, I don't know. I guess that I just don't know if it's wise for me to take on a dame that's already got a boyfriend, that's all."

"She said she did?" Logan asked, surprised.

"Sure, all those girls do. Didn't you know that?"

"I knew a couple of them did, but all of them?"

"Well, the one I was hanging with does, I know that for sure. I get the feeling that her boyfriend doesn't mess around when it comes to staking a claim on his territory. I think I may have been given a warning last night," Carlos half-whispered, as he looked around.

"What do you mean, Carlos?"

Carlos bit his lower lip. "Never mind. Forget I mentioned it. I did see a few cops hanging around a little while ago, though."

Logan's pulse began to race. He looked around too. "Hang-hanging around?" he echoed.

"At the end of the drive. Just sitting there in the dark. I saw them with my binoculars. I saw lights and then... nothing, so I took a peek. Almost like they wanted us to know they were there, or something."

"Why-why do you say that?" Logan asked, more nervous than ever. He ran the hand back through the already tousled hair, and swallowed hard. Carlos just shrugged and looked away.

"Just a gut feeling," he whispered.

Logan climbed from the front seat of the car, and walked toward the house with Carlos limping at his side. Carlos felt guilty for not telling the others about the motorcycle accident, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Logan was hiding something too.

"Kendall home?"

"Yeah, and he says he has a bone to pick with you," Carlos said with a warning look in his eyes.

Logan sighed. "Of course he does," he muttered.


	7. Daddy-O

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush.**

**A/N: I just want to say how much I appreciate my anonymous reviewers! You guys are insane and I love ya'! Also, thanks to winterschild (whose story rocks), Sassyascanbe14 and bubzchoc (two of my favorite reviewers), S.O.S., Shay and Dani: thanks for sticking with me. :)**

* * *

**7. Daddy-O**

"Where the hell have you been?" Kendall demanded to know, as soon as the door opened.

Logan forced a cocky grin, just what he assumed Kendall would be expecting. "Oh, am I late for something?"

Kendall stared, trying hard to remain calm. He leaned forward and widened his eyes. "You've been gone for hours!"

"Is that a crime now? Besides, I'm surprised you don't know. You didn't follow this time?" Logan asked sarcastically, looking away and running a hand through his thick slick bangs.

He hoped that Kendall wasn't aware of how shaky he was, or how exhausted he felt. The intense green eyes were studying him however, and it was beginning to break down his defenses. Carlos and James sat quietly, waiting to see where this was going.

"Where. Were. You?" Kendall asked curtly, hands on his hips.

Logan stood his ground, his own temper flaring. All he wanted, was to get to bed early and try to make sense of the accident privately. He finally raised chocolate-brown eyes to vibrant green, chin held high. "I don't have to answer that Kendall_, _because last time I checked, you weren't my dad!"

Kendall diverted his gaze, sat down on the red seat of the chrome stool and sighed, fighting to control his breathing. He hated when Logan made him feel like a heel. He folded his arms across his chest. "Don't get wise, Logan. I was just worried about you, that's all."

"Well, don't be!" Logan's eyes flashed. The stress and fear the accident caused, were controlling him now, and he leaned in close to Kendall's face. "I already have a dad, I said, and I don't want a big brother!"

"You're lucky I'm _not_ your dad, " Kendall muttered under his breath.

"_What did you say?"_

Carlos stood beside Logan and laid a calming hand on his shoulder. "It's cool now. Let's just end this, guys."

"No," said Logan, feeling extremely jittery and hostile, "I wanna' know what _**Daddy-O**_ just said."

Normally, Kendall's worrying about Logan was amusing to all of them, but Carlos and James sensed that this wasn't a typical night. They could feel the tension in the air.

Kendall just shook his head. "You're getting yourself awfully worked up, Logan. I suppose you have something to hide, or you would just say where you were."

"So, do I get sent to my room, _dad_? Oh wait...that's right, it's _our_ room. Know why? Because you are my roommate, not my dad!" Logan repeated.

Kendall jumped to his feet, jaw clenched. James jumped up as well, not knowing whether a fight might ensue. Carlos let out a frustrated whimper. It snapped Logan out of his rage, and he exhaled the breath he held.

"I already have one bad dad, Kendall. I just need one good friend now," Logan said quietly.

Kendall's body relaxed, and he came forward to put his arms around Logan. "I'm sorry," he said softly, "I heard there was an accident at Hudson, and it...terri-fied me," Kendall admitted, his voice breaking.

Logan gave him a quick awkward pat on the back and pulled away. Unable to look him in the eye, his chin quivered slightly. Carlos and James noticed Logan's discomfort and exchanged a quizzical look.

Kendall didn't let on whether he noticed. A forgiving grin spread slowly across his face. "Hungry?" he asked.

Logan nodded, wondering how he was going to force himself to eat, when his stomach was tied in knots. The image of the car flipping, then catch fire, kept running through his mind. Kendall turned to James with the forced half-smile still present, and he realized that Kendall was not okay.

"Macaroni and cheese with ham sound good?" he asked.

"Kendall," Carlos said, "it's my turn to make dinner. You don't have to do it."

Kendall raised a hand. "No, no, no," he said, "it will keep me busy."

They all watched as he took out the ingredients and turned on the oven. "We need to get you one of those sexy little red and white checked aprons," James teased, pretending to pinch his bum.

He had hoped to ease the tension, but Kendall stiffened and set down a dish with a clang. Carlos jumped. Logan stood. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be out in time for dinner," he said leaving.

When Logan left and they heard the water running, James entered the kitchen and leaned up against the counter. "Can I help?" he asked.

Kendall shrugged. "Sure, why not."

"I'm sure he wasn't a part of that whole thing," James said convincingly. "I don't think someone as smart as Logan-"

"Fine," Kendall cut in. He started to shred the cheese with the grater.

Carlos joined in. "My papi probably knows something about it. I could call him and find out if it will make you feel better."

"No, I told Logan to never lie to me, and I believe him. That's that."

"Then, why do you still seem so frosted?" James asked.

Kendall stopped grating for a moment. "Because he didn't even ask what I was talking about when I mentioned Hudson. He knew, so...he lied."

James' jaw dropped. He hadn't even caught that. "So...what are we going do?"

Carlos looked as if he were in shock. "You think-you...think he was one of the drivers?"

Kendall started to grate the cheese furiously. "Ouch!" he cried suddenly.

James looked to see the red liquid dripping onto the yellow-orange of the cheese. "Holy shit, Kendall!" he exclaimed.

Kendall went to the sink, leaving a trail of deep red droplets as he went. "I'm all right," he said, actually grateful for a distraction from his own tormented thoughts. "I could really use a bandage, though."

Carlos raced down the hall to get to the medicine cabinet, slamming directly into Logan, his hair soft and wet without the pomade, making him look younger and more vulnerable. "Logan!" Carlos cried in surprise. "You startled me! How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," Logan said crisply, turning on his heels and heading to the bedroom.

Carlos followed, forgetting about the urgency of the bandage. "Is something bothering you?"

"No. I just don't like when Kendall gets on my case. Why doesn't he bug you guys, as much as he does me? He has a little sister to make miserable."

Carlos thought for a moment. Logan definitely looked distraught. "You should be happy that someone cares so much about you. We all do, Logan."

Logan turned his back to Carlos while he buttoned a clean light blue pajama shirt on. "Thanks," he said flatly, not feeling like he deserved to hear that.

xxx

An hour later, both boys had calmed down enough to sit at the table and share dinner with the other two. No one spoke of the accident or where Logan had been all evening.

"This is good, Kendall," Logan said, after taking a small bite. He was determined to convince everyone that he was fine.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, don't ever, ever..._ever_ tell my mom, but it's better than hers!" Carlos said excitedly. Kendall laughed.

James was quiet. He was studying Logan while he chewed, as if he could determine whether he lied, just by observing him. Their eyes met briefly, and Logan looked away quickly.

Kendall looked at James, silent, fork poised over his plate, focused on Logan. It had just dawned on him what an accident like that could mean for their future, if Logan actually was involved. "You don't like it, James?"

"What?" he asked, blinking. "Oh, yeah. It's delicious. I still say you should wear nothing but a cute frilly apron when you cook, though," James added with a wink.

Kendall shook his head, and laughed aloud for the first time all night. "Oh, Jamie!" he said in his best girlie voice, "Anything for my man! Can I at least leave my high heels on?"

xxx

The next morning, James was up early preening in the mirror, and Carlos was brewing a pot of coffee in the kitchen. The other two were still in their room, sleeping in.

"Tell me Carlos, why do you make coffee every morning, when you don't even drink it?" James asked curiously.

"I still love the smell of it," he said, scrunching up his small nose and breathing in the rich aroma. "Besides, you guys like it. And...it reminds me of my mom and papi. They made it every morning when I was still at home."

"Homesick?" James asked, hoping to tease him about it forever.

"A bit. And, if you ever repeat that outside of this house, I'll wring your neck!" Carlos warned, wagging a finger his way.

James flashed him a striking smile. "You'll need a step-stool to do it!" he sang. He ran away and Carlos chased after him with a dishtowel, snapping it at his backside.

"Yow!" James yelped when he made his target. "You're like a vicious little bull dog!"

"What's going on?" Kendall asked with a yawn. He scratched his thigh and sniffed. "Ah, coffee. I could use it. I didn't sleep much."

"Why not?" Carlos asked naively. Kendall gave him the look. "Ahhhh!" he said, still having no idea what he was referring to.

"Carlos, have you forgotten already?" James asked.

Then, he really did catch on. He shook his head emphatically, and held a finger to his lips when he saw Logan making his way down the hall. "I'll make toast, since you took care of dinner last night," Carlos offered.

"Oh golly, don't strain yourself," Kendall teased rolling his eyes.

"I'll take some. I'm starving," Logan said, plopping down on a red chair with a cup of coffee.

They didn't comment, although they had seen him dump most of his dinner in the garbage the night before, when he thought no one was watching.

"I've decided to work over at the grocery store an extra shift," Kendall said. "We can always use the bread. Then, I'm going to stop by and see my mom and sis' for a while."

"I'm going to go for a ride on my cycle today. It's beautiful out."

"I think I'll go check out the tip I got about that modeling job," James added.

Logan just took a swig of his coffee and drummed his fingers on the table top. Kendall cleared his throat.

"Don't forget we play a gig at the club Friday," James said suddenly.

"Nope. How could I?" Carlos exclaimed. "I want to get another look at that fox that works there." He set the plate of toast down next to the butter and jelly.

"Since when did you become a bigger stud than me?" James asked, pouting.

Logan laughed. "He's the bomb, remember?" he mocked, echoing the girl's words from the party.

Carlos cracked his knuckles. "That's it, just keep messin' with me, boys and I'll feed you a knuckle sandwich."

"Teddy bear," James mumbled.

"Logan? Do you want to come with me today after work? You know, to see my old lady and Katie."

Logan bit his lower lip and nodded. He needed to keep busy.

xxx

Carlos basked in the warmth of the sunshine, while he waited at the stoplight. It was days like this that made him feel elated just to be alive. He was off from his job at the garage, and it was just him and "Lita", his affectionate pet name for his motorcycle.

"Just Lita and Los today," he would always say before he went out on it. The guys would tease him that "she" was jealous if he talked to other girls, and he would play along. He sat at what he was sure was the longest light ever, and relaxed.

The short sleeves of gray tee-shirt were rolled up to accentuate his bronze muscles, and he lifted the visor of his helmet and slid a stick of gum between his teeth. Happily chewing, he turned with a smile when he felt eyes upon him. Another girl checking him out perhaps? For a fleeting moment he thought the black and white squad car was his papi somehow.

The faces of the two men staring back at him were nothing like his father's. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized them as the officers who had stopped, the night of the chase. He resumed chewing the gum, nodded, and closed the visor as soon as the light changed.

He prayed that they would turn off, but the patrol car tailed him for blocks, keeping him tense and doubting every move he made. Were they trying to make him speed or roll through a stop-sign? He fought to focus on his driving and not the looming car in his side-view mirror.

Finally, after a couple of miles, the car turned off, allowing him a sigh of relief. But, the ride was ruined, and he couldn't relax now. He turned around and headed back to the beach house. He planned to phone his folks and get some answers. This was getting out of hand.

xxx

James was the last to leave the house that morning. He chose an amber-colored shirt that complimented his eyes and skin, and tugged on a pair of tan suede shoes. He really wanted the modeling job he had heard about for the catalog. Out of the four boys, he was the one who wanted fame the most. He didn't plan on settling for just being a musician. He wanted it all.

He headed out to his truck, leaving the door unlocked as usual, and drove away. Only minutes later, Carlos pulled in and parked his motorcycle in the garage. He glanced at Logan's car already parked inside. He must be out with Kendall, he thought.

While walking by, he noticed something unusual, He crouched down and studied Logan's tires. The treads were full of gravel and covered in a red mud. He knitted his eyebrows, trying to remember where he'd ever seen red mud around town before. Shrugging, Carlos headed inside.

He walked up whistling a tune and jingling his keys. Maybe there was some of that macaroni and cheese with ham left over from last night, he thought to himself.

Inside, sat two police officers, waiting patiently at the kitchen table where the boys had all shared breakfast, only a couple of hours before. They smiled smugly when they saw his shadow pass by the window and appear outside the kitchen door.

xxx

**Hey, are you still with me? I promise this will get more exciting next chapter. I've been really busy, so I'm deciding which ones to update the most by the response I get. I can put this one on back burner and only up-date Missing In Motion for now if you guys want.**

**Thanks,**

**Crumpet**


	8. Trust

**A big hug to winterschild11, Sassyascanbe14, BTR'slovesong, LazyLazyWriter, Logan 4 the win, bubzchoc, HappyDazeChick, BookWorkKendall, and guests!**

**It's a longer chapter. :)**

**The natives were getting restless, so...**

**8. Trust**

Carlos dropped his keys to the floor, startled by the two men, and did the first thing his instincts told him to do. Turn around and run. There was no reason in his mind that the officers could be waiting in their kitchen when no one else was home...except for bad reasons.

The men were as agile as he was and easily captured him, pinning his arms behind his back as they walked him back up the driveway. "Guilty conscience?" The dark-haired one asked. Carlos' eyes traveled to the name on his front pocket. _Officer Zimmer. _

"You scared me. I'm not u-used to seeing strangers at my kitchen table," Carlos stammered. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked in a small voice brimming with apprehension.

"You tell us, Carlos. Come on in and join us," the other one said, giving him an unnecessarily harsh tug. Carlos glanced at his chest to see the name. _Officer Barton._ Shit, he cursed inwardly. He recognized the name as the one old man Richards had called the blond boy in the black car. Now, his fear escalated.

Zimmer pulled out a chair for him, and Carlos slid slowly down to sit. He stared at the officers, distrust clear in his dark wide eyes.

"Let's get right down to business, _Mr. Garcia,_ Barton accentuated. "We obviously know who you are. The son of a fellow officer. So, you expect us to give you the special treatment. Look the other way when you stray."

"No!" Carlos exclaimed, shaking his head, "that's not true!"

They hardened their stares. "Cut the crap," Zimmer said. Carlos' eyes widened even more.

"I don't know what you mean. I haven't done anything wrong."

"Let's just recap for you, son. My nephew Bobby, went for a night out with the boys. From what I understand, they were minding their own business, when a motorcycle comes up, and a punk kid gives them the bird.

They try to ignore that the cycle is taunting them, cutting in and out in front of them and speeding around, then slowing down to screw with 'em." Carlos was shaking his head vigorously now, his jaw dropped.

"Yeah," Zimmer took over the story, "then they pull into Richard's Liquors to turn around , and the cycle follows them. Before they knew it, they were being chased down the road. It resulted in the cycle landing in a ditch."

"The funny thing is," Barton said icily, "those same boys, my nephew Bobby and his son Danny, ended up in a terrible accident only a couple of days later. The car was lost in fire, and one of the boys in that car is in the hospital."

"W-what?" Carlos asked nervously.

Barton leaned forward. "You heard us, punk! That boy might die and I think you were responsible!"

"None of this is true!" Carlos cried.

"Then, how about we check out the cycle, and make a formal report on any damages we find?" Zimmer said.

"I fixed that already," Carlos said shakily.

Barton smiled and leaned back in his chair. "So, there's a receipt sayin' that you purchased stuff to fix it up with. Tryin' to hide the evidence?"

"You-you told me to fix it myself...and keep quiet about it-"

"Are you sayin' we blackmailed you, boy?" Zimmer asked.

"No...God no," Carlos whimpered. He noticed a shadow pass by the kitchen window, then stop at the door. The door opened as Kendall called, "Logan!"

He looked startled. "Hello, Mr. Knight. Take a seat. We have a few questions to ask you."

xxx

Logan was just about to head out and meet Kendall, when he saw the patrol car coming up the drive. His heart raced and he panicked. They had to be coming for him. Somehow, they had found out that he raced the car that overturned. Instead of going to the garage, he slipped out the back and raced down the beach, hiding behind a hill.

He was so nervous. He had been there for what seemed like ages, just wondering how long before they came searching. Maybe Kendall would come home for him, and save him like a true superhero. He really didn't know of any other way he could be saved now. They knew where he lived.

He peeked over the hill to see where the policemen hid the black and white. They had parked it behind some trees and it was still there! Why else would they hide the car, if they weren't there to arrest someone. He shuddered, pulled his knees tightly to his chest, and waited.

Inside, Kendall was getting the same treatment that Carlos had. After drilling him on what all he knew, the threats were pulled out. "You do realize, Mr. Knight that we are watching your every move. You won't be able to so much as piss in privacy, without one of us knowin' it. Got it?"

Kendall nodded, glaring. "Got it," he said angrily. "I'm ready for my interrogation."

"Don't get wise, beatnik! Just remember, if you're protectin' one of your little buddies here, you're shittin' up your life. He will go down, and he's gonna' take you down with him," Zimmer warned.

James chose that moment to enter, back from his modeling interview. "Hey guys!" he called cheerfully, falling through the door that he had not expected to find ajar. "Whoah!" he exclaimed.

"Mr. Diamond," Barton greeted.

"Hello?"

"Take a seat. Join the party," Zimmer said mockingly.

James sat down warily and studied Kendall and Carlos, worried by the looks on their faces. "We'd like to ask you a few questions," Barton said.

xxx

Logan saw James' truck pull up, and he was pretty sure that Kendall's car was there too. He began to bite his nails nervously. How much longer could he hide? What was going on in there?

"Know anything about an accident that occurred recently, Mr. Diamond?"

"Uh..." James looked at the others. They looked scared of what he might say. "Just that one happened out at Hudson-er that road that the kids like to race at."

"Uh-huh, that's right. Know where you and your roommates were that evening?"

James shrugged. "Mostly home. We had a party the day before, so we were kind of tired."

"So, you're sayin' no one ever left the house that day?"

James thought for a moment. He remembered that Logan had gone out and disappeared most of the day, but something told him not to share the information."Don't think so," he said nonchalantly.

The men stared. "Tell me, boys, where's the other little guy? I believe someone's missing," Barton said.

"I just got here," James reminded them. "I have been at an interview, so I have no idea where Logan is."

The men turned to Kendall. Kendall shrugged and shook his head. "So, why did you call for him when you came in? He didn't show up somewhere?" Zimmer asked.

"No, I just wondered if he was home."

"Okay," Zimmer said smugly. 'Carlos, any idea where the boy is?"

"N-no," Carlos answered.

"Well, just let him know that he needs to stop by the station by tomorrow, so we can ask him a few questions too. If he doesn't, we'll know where to find him."

"Yeah, our kitchen," Kendall said sarcastically.

"Yeah, isn't it illegal to break into someone's house when their not home?" Carlos asked, feeling braver with his friends present.

"Ask your daddy," Zimmer said with a smirk. "It's not breaking in, if the door's left unlocked."

Something told them, that the policemen knew there was no way they were mentioning the visit to their families.

Xxx

Logan saw the police car slowly pull away. He exhaled long and hard. He was hungry, frightened, and eager to find out what they spent so much time discussing in there. He entered the kitchen, hunching guiltily above the boys, still seated at the table looking rather shell-shocked.

"Hey," he said quietly, shutting and bolting the door behind him. Kendall's vibrant green eyes flashed at him, and Logan swallowed nervously. "What was that all about?" Logan squeaked.

All Kendall could think about was how Logan had lied, and about how a boy was in the hospital who might still die. This was going to follow them forever, and there was no telling how it would end.

James worried about their future. This would not be good for their reputation, regardless of how it turned out in the end. Carlos worried for his life. He would never be able to stop looking over his shoulder for the officers. His father was even in danger of becoming involved now.

Kendall stood slowly. "You lied to me," he said grimly.

Logan licked his lips and slid his hands into his front pockets. "About what?" he asked innocently. He knew they would never forgive him if they knew the truth.

Kendall came closer and stared into Logan's guilty eyes. Logan shook his head and backed away..

"Don't" Kendall pleaded. "Just don't."

"What the hell do you want me to say, Kendall? That I wanted some kid to crash? That I wanted to get us in deep shit, and bring the fuzz sneaking around? That I wanted to get you all involved?"

The room was uncomfortably silent. Logan looked down at his feet, his face flushed. Kendall did not reply. Instead he walked off down the hallway, and shut the bedroom door quietly behind him. James and Carlos just stared at Logan. Unable to handle the scrutiny, Logan went outside and paced in the driveway, trying to figure out what to do next.

He was afraid to go for a drive to clear his head. He had no idea where the cops were, and he didn't trust the boys in the black car either. Carlos told James about the red mud and gravel he had found on Logan's tires. Kendall could hear the conversation from where he sat, on the foot of the bed, head in hands.

xxx

They went about things as usual, and shared a couple of pizzas from the freezer for dinner. No one was in the mood for cooking. They watched a couple of hours of television, than began to yawn. Logan sat in a living room chair reading a medical book, but never grasped a single concept. He found himself re-reading the same words over and over. He knew Kendall was furious.

James and Carlos got to their showers first, and Logan and Kendall were avoiding one another as much as possible.

Later that evening, the feelings of anger and betrayal were beginning to build within Kendall. Why didn't Logan trust him enough to tell him he was in trouble? Why hadn't he trusted all of them to protect him, or help in any way they could? Maybe he just didn't get it. But Logan was smart, he reasoned. Smarter than anyone else he knew. Things were going to get out of control...and Logan was keeping everything to himself, not even admitting the role he played in the entire mess. Now, a boy might die...would it be a form of murder?

Kendall jumped from the bed and flung open the door. "Where is he?" he demanded to know.

James looked perplexed. Carlos pointed to the driveway, and Kendall stormed out. "Uh-oh," said Carlos.

"Yeah," said James.

Kendall was hoping to calm down and not get more worked up, but old memories kept resurfacing and he was tired of keeping things bottled up inside. He chose to face him sooner, rather than later. He found Logan pacing outside again, and grabbed him by the wrist, spinning him around to face him.

"Kendall!" Logan shouted, pulling on the wrist he held.

"_Why,_ Logan? You're the smart one! I thought that of all people, you'd have more sense!" Kendall reasoned.

"I guess not! But, you always said I was reckless, remember?" Logan shot back.

"You really made a mess of things this time, Logan!" Kendall scolded. "And, where was the trust?" he asked quietly.

Logan felt a stab to the heart, and his face fell. He hated to disappoint more than anything. Memories of his own father telling him what a disappointment he was to him, came flooding back. He snatched his wrist away.

"I screwed up, okay!" Logan shouted. "So, sue me!"

Kendall couldn't believe it. "Screwed up? A boy might die because you couldn't resist a stupid challenge!" He gripped the wrist again.

Logan set his jaw stubbornly. "I mean it! Let go of me!"

He wasn't owning up to the fact that he had endangered his own life, as well as another boy's, or considering how his actions would affect all of them.

"Stupid!" Kendall raged, fueling Logan's own internal anger. "I thought bringing home a bunch of crazy girls was the limit, but now this!"

"I learned my lesson, _daddy_! I promise I won't race again!"

"We have a town-full of enemies, now!" Kendall shouted.

"We had enemies before this, obviously!" Logan shouted back.

"You could have died! You really don't get it!" Kendall cried in a high-pitched voice of exasperation.

It brought Carlos and James to the window, just in time to see him throw Logan up against the bumper of his car. He slapped him across the cheek, leaving a stunned look behind on all three faces.

Logan placed his hand to the stinging cheek, eyes narrowed. "Don't you ever-" Logan began coldly.

"Don't ever _what, _Logan? Lie? Sneak? Endanger my life? Or all of ours?" Kendall hissed.

Kendall didn't think, before he did what he did next. Later, he would spend hours trying to analyze why he did it, but for now he was acting on pure emotion. He flung Logan face-down on the hood of his car, twisting a fistful of his cardigan, and pinned both of his wrists behind him. He had simmered over the 'daddy' references for days now, and he finally had enough.

Logan struggled to lift Kendall's weight off of him, but his face was painfully pressed into the cool steel. Seeing red, Kendall began to vent his rage on the back of Logan, forcing him forward with each forceful smack to his rear. It took Logan a full moment to register that he was actually being hit the way he was, before he fought to free himself. Even though he did, it was to no avail. Kendall was driven by rage, and seemed to possess that superhuman strength Logan always joked about.

"Do something, Man! Kendall's going ape on Logan!" Carlos wailed.

James was too shocked by what he was witnessing, to even respond. Smack after smack, led Logan to yelping and whimpering, but Kendall was ruthless and wouldn't relent. How could he take life so carelessly, Kendall wanted to know.

"Kendall! Stop!" Logan pleaded, gritting his teeth. Finally breathless, Kendall slowed down a bit, while Logan wriggled against the slippery hood.

"Kendall, stop!"Carlos yelled, running out from the house.

Kendall snapped out of his rage when he heard Carlos' sweet, pleading voice. He slowly turned to face the two curious boys on the porch as if in a trance, and walked back to the house, leaving Logan still lying prone over the hood of the car. They stepped aside to let him pass.

"Logan? Are you okay?" Carlos asked in a concerned voice, stepping out into the semi-darkness to meet him. Logan finally lifted himself off of the car, and slowly stood upright. He wouldn't look at Carlos.

"Yeah, sure," he choked out bitterly. He limped to the door, and turned his face away from James, who stood blocking the doorway with both arms. He tried to brush past him, but James shook his head.

Logan kept his eyes down, and wiped his wet face with the back of his hand. "Pleeease. James," he tried again, "just let me by."

James wrapped his arms around him. "Wait, what just happened out there?" he asked softly, pulling him in closer.

"What do you think!" Logan asked in a high squeaky voice, full of hurt. "Kendall's flipped his wig! Now move!"

James raised his arms to block him off again, and stood his ground, waiting for some sort of explanation about what was going on between the two of them. Logan tried to press his way in once more.

"Logan, just stop running away," James said firmly.

"What? Do you want a go at me too? Would you like me over your lap, or back over the hood of the car?" Logan spat at him.

James dropped his arms, shaking his head. "No, Logan. Not unless you keep smarting off to your friends like that. But, we do need to talk to Kendall, and find out what's really going on with him."

"What's going on with him? He wants to give me a curfew, and enforce it too!" Logan said defiantly. "No way! I'm not talking to him."

James noticed that Logan was trembling now, and he hated to see him so broken. He was a pretty tough guy, as long as he'd known him, but this was enough to break anyone. He let him pass.

Logan avoided the bedroom, where he knew Kendall went to retreat. There was no way he could face him now. He clicked off the floor lamp, and plopped down heavily into the living room chair. Carlos stood watching.

"Hey, Logan," he said sympathetically. Logan just hung his head, feeling a kaleidoscope of emotions, including anger, sorrow and humiliation.

Carlos caught the shine of a stray tear in the soft light, and wiped it gently from his friend's cheek. Logan swatted the hand away. "Don't!" he snapped. "I'm not a baby!"

"I never said you were," Carlos said, hurt by the response to his caring gesture. "It's been a long day, I'm just going to go to bed. Night," he said.

"Night," Logan mumbled.

"He's pretty pissed off," Carlos whispered to James in the hall. James made a u-turn, and decided to stay away from both of the guys until things calmed down.

"Really, I don't blame him, but I don't blame Kendall either."

Logan, aware that they were whispering, went into the bathroom to take his evening shower, banging the door behind him. It rattled the windows of the bungalow.

"Logan!" James scolded.

"Aw, let him be," Carlos said. "Did you see Kendall's fury? I hope he never goes off on me like that! I never even got spanked as a child, never mind pummeled like that," he said with a grimace.

"Well, I don't think Logan did either. His dad liked to use words to punish him, from what I hear."

"What a drag," Carlos said.

"I don't think he would ever react that way with us, anyway," James said honestly. "I think he only does that with Logan...and we need to find out why."

Logan ran the shower hot and long. He cried silently, letting the tears mingle with the stream of water. He hated when things weren't right between him and Kendall. It always mattered to him what Kendall thought, and this time his heart ached, and his stomach felt like a clenched fist. His felt like his life was falling apart.

xxx

There was no way Kendall could fall asleep after what had happened, but he pretended to. Shortly after the shower stopped running, Logan slipped into the bedroom with the stealth of a cat. He slid into his bed and turned his face to the moon, bright and full in the window.

Kendall could see his dark eyes glistening in the moon beams. He, himself had been crying. It hurt that Logan didn't trust in him the way he should. It hurt that things had come to this. He loved the guy like a brother, and maybe something more. They had shared so much together. He couldn't stand to think of Logan hurt... or worse yet, gone. He'd already lost one brother and he couldn't bear to lose another.

Logan's eyes drooped heavily, and Kendall watched him finally concede, roll over on his side away from where he lay in his own bed, and fall asleep. He listened until he heard his breathing even out, before closing his own eyes and succumbing to sleep. He wished that he could just give him a warm forgiving hug, and put everything right. But, it wouldn't be right to do that, because the truth was, Kendall was still hurt and angry.

xxx

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	9. Talk Of The Town

**A/N: Thanks winterschild11, Sassyascanbe14, Evix, Logan 4 the win, LazyLazyWriter, bubzchoc, HappyDazeChick, and other guests!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush**

**9. Talk Of The Town**

Kendall woke in the wee hours of the morning to an empty room. He wasn't surprised that Logan wasn't there, only disappointed. He felt like they had to talk right away. As he wandered through the living room, he did feel guilt, but he also felt something stronger. He went to the deck and took a deep breath.

Logan was out there, with elbows resting on the rail of the deck, watching the sunrise. Kendall's hand rested on the handle of the screen door for a moment, and Logan sensing his presence, glanced over his shoulder, before turning back to the blending hues of pink and orange in the sky. He slid the door open and stood beside him. Logan did not look at him this time.

"Logan."

Logan bit his bottom lip and stood fully upright. He thrust his hands deep into the front pockets of his jeans, still staring at the gradually dawning light. He was already dressed for the day, and Kendall wondered if he was planning on going out soon, probably just to avoid him.

"Logan, I'm sorry." He turned to glance at Kendall again, this time looking a bit surprised. "But, I did...what I did last night, because you mean so much to me. I couldn't stand to think that I might lose you."

Logan swallowed and nodded. "It was stupid, Kendall...and I'm so sorry."

"You could have been killed...and I can't live without you."

"Kendall-"

"No. just let me finish. I love you so much, bro-o," he said, his voice cracking.

Logan's eyes began to water, but he blinked until they cleared. He put his arm around Kendall, who returned the gesture with his arm, hugging him firmly before releasing him.

"I love you too, bro," Logan said, "and I'm sorry that I lost my temper when you were so worried about me." It felt good to be forgiven and to forgive in return.

Kendall smiled weakly. "And, I'm sorry that I wigged out and said some things that upset you, but you have to understand that I'm _not_ sorry for what you know... happened afterward."

Logan's head jerked up to look at Kendall. "Wait-what?"

"You heard right, Logan. You ever do anything to put yourself in that kind of danger again, and I'll whip your butt again."

Logan's jaw dropped. "You-you...are you crazy?"

"That's right. I'm not going to your funeral. Not for something so asinine."

Logan shook his head and backed away. "I can't believe this! You actually had me fooled for a minute! I really thought you were sorry!"

"I am, but not for-"

"Save it! You beat me for crying out loud! I'm not your kid, I'm your roommate. Your band-mate, y-your friend," Logan said, choking up on the last word, "and-"

"So much more," Kendall finished for him.

"So much more," Logan echoed, this time keeping his eyes glued to Kendall's sparkling green ones. Kendall finally looked away from Logan to reach for the pack of Lucky Strikes in his robe pocket.

"Like I said," he began again, pausing to stick a cigarette into the corner of his lips and light the tip, "do it again and I'll-by the way I think _beat _is a bit of an exaggeration, I'll _spank_ your butt worse, brat."

He smiled impishly at Logan's astonished face, then grew serious as he blew a puff of smoke from the side of his mouth. He waited in silence for Logan to respond, while he locked his eyes once again on the dark brown ones that kept shifting away. There was a long silence between them, before Logan turned his eyes back to the brightening sky and nodded.

"Okay," he said, almost too quietly to hear over the chirping birds, and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.

"Okay?" Kendall reiterated, making sure that he'd heard right.

"'Kay," he repeated with a curt nod, still studying the intensity of the multicolored sky.

"The sunrise _is_ beautiful, isn't it," Kendall said smugly.

"Yep," he agreed, not daring to look at his friend who was clearly feeling victorious.

He wondered how Kendall always managed to be the leader of the group. Logan prided himself on the fact that he could hold his own ground when it came to being strong. What he lacked in stature, he made up for in intelligence, wit, and determination. It wasn't going to be easy to let Kendall assume the role of the alpha-male.

Kendall grinned when he saw Logan's cheeks flush, then took another lazy puff. He really did feel guilty, but it wasn't due to calling Logan out on his reckless antics, it was because of the secret he'd kept from his friends all these years. Tonight he would finally shed some light on his fear of losing Logan, and share that secret with the three of them.

xxx

All of the guys would remember where they were and what they were doing, when they heard the news. Carlos was busy whistling a tune, while working a shift at Don's Garage. He loved his job. He was able to work on motorcycles and actually get paid to do it. He seldom spent time in the auto department of the six-car garage, which is why his own car sounded like a bucket of loose bolts, yet his motorcycle purred like a content cat. The other guys loved to tease him about being a mechanic, while driving a heap, but he just loved motorcycles more than cars.

He turned up the dusty transistor radio, adjusted the antenna, and knelt to check the tires on a flashy red cycle that someone just brought in. He ran an appreciative hand over the cherry red enamel, still humming along with the music, and wiped his greasy hands on a shop towel. He mopped at his brow, unknowingly leaving a black smudge in its place. It was definitely warmer today than usual, and he was grateful for the chrome fan atop the workbench.

He stepped over to it, closing his eyes and enjoying the breeze it gave off, when he stopped dead in his tracks. He spotted two men in uniform outside of the open door, talking to his boss. Don seemed riveted to what the policemen were saying, and shifted in his spot, occasionally glancing toward the open door.

The hair on the nape of Carlos' neck rose in response, and perspiration began to trickle down his temples. It couldn't be a coincidence that the men were now at his place of employment, and he sensed that Don was uncomfortable with the visit.

He inched his way closer to the open door, being careful to stay close to the interior wall, and hoping to hear what they were saying.

"Yeah, we'll need to speak with him again. Maybe he's refreshed his memory a bit since we last spoke. When's a good time?" Zimmer asked.

"Now will be fine, I guess," Don answered hurriedly, glancing inside the shop. Carlos closed his eyes, cold fear gripping him. What else could he possibly tell these men that he hadn't already said? Giving up on the men going away, Carlos stepped out of the shadows and made his way over to face his fears.

"Looking for me?" he asked, still wiping the grease from his palms on the white towel.

"Mr. Garcia, I'd shake your hand but-" Barton said with a chuckle, feigning the need for pleasantries. "Have you heard?"

Carlos tried to read any expression on their faces, but came up blank. "Heard?"

"The Bishop boy died," Barton said.

Carlos' world tilted. He was aware of the voice still droning on, but all he could hear was a faint murmur through the rush of blood in his ears. Aware of a sharp pain in his forearm, Carlos stared down at the fingers biting into his flesh.

"I'm sorry, Carlos," Don said apologetically, "but you were about to go down."

"It's an act of negligence, leaving an accident scene like that. Punishable by prison. Care to talk 'bout all you know, now?"

xxx

James was in the middle of a photo shoot for the JcPenney catalog. He was posing for the cameras, impressing the photographers with his natural ability to flirt with the camera and smile at just the right angle.

"That's a rap!" they called, pleased with his performance and finished with the job early. James felt good.

He was doing what he always dreamed of doing; working as a musician and a model. He gathered his things, shook a few hands and headed back out to his truck.

He climbed in, grimacing at how sticky the seat felt in the hot afternoon sun, and flipped on the radio. The announcer was giving the news, and James only half-listened absent-mindedly, still high over his modeling session, when he suddenly froze at the words echoing in his ears.

"The talk of the town today is the sudden death of local teen, Steven Bishop, seventeen years of age. He is said to have been racing in a car with two other teens, pitted against another vehicle Sunday night. The fatal accident occurred at Hudson Road, where medics were on the scene and met with an overturned vehicle, engulfed in flames.

The driver and another teen, were no longer in the vehicle, and escaped injury. Unfortunately, Steven was trapped in the backseat of the car, where he sustained third degree burns over sixty percent of his body, several broken bones, and severe head trauma. He was pronounced dead at 6:30 a. m. this morning. Police are asking, that if you have any information on who the driver of the other vehicle was, or any other relative information pertaining to this accident, that you notify your local authorities right away. The charges pending are classified as leaving the scene of a fatal accident, negligence, and other related charges. In other news today..."

James zoned out. His hands shook on the steering wheel, as all the possible scenarios played out in his head. _The boy actually died._ Their lives would never be the same again. James slammed his trembling hands against the steering column.

"Damn it, Logan! " he shouted.

All their hopes and dreams...gone. He could visualize them fizzling away in a wisp of smoke, just as he imagined that car with the boy lodged in the backseat was after it overturned. Gone.

xxx

Before Kendall heard the news, he was feeling pretty good about things. He reached an agreement with Logan about where they stood in their relationship, and he was about to share the burden of his past with three of the closest people in his life, other than his mother and sister.

He went to the living room sofa with iced tea in hand, and took a seat before the television. He was going to relax a bit, and watch _The Honeymooners _until Logan got back from wherever it was that the boy went off to. In the back of his mind, he was worried that Logan might actually be avoiding meeting with the police that afternoon. He hoped that it wasn't the case, and that he would pull off the interrogation, without adding to the suspicion.

Relaxation was short-lived however, when a news broadcast cut into one of his favorite programs. A photo of a boy was held up for viewers, and the monotone voice of the newscaster began to speak. "This boy lost his life today in a tragic accident that occurred Sunday evening. How many of our youth have to pay the ultimate price, for continued recklessness and flagrant disregard for life."

The man set the photo down with a dramatic gesture and twirled his chair to face the camera. Steven Bishop was only seventeen years old and lost his young life this morning. Please tell your children that racing is dangerous."

Kendall was off the sofa, running his hands through his hair, pacing wildly. "Logan, Logan..." he mumbled over and over. His heart was racing. That boy was not supposed to die. They were supposed to move on, put all this behind them, and continue with their music. The pent-up rage was back. Kendall balled up his fist, and pounded it against the pale yellow paint, making his knuckles bloody, but doing little to mar the surface of the plaster.

Dazed by the pain and fury, Kendall watched the blood begin to trickle from his split skin. Tears blurred his vision. He couldn't lose Logan...and his hand really hurt. He could sure use his doctoring skills now.

xxx

Logan was back at Branson's Diner. Lana should be starting her shift any minute, and Logan really felt the need to see her beautiful face. The pink convertible pulled in to the lot, and she climbed from the driver's seat. She was alone today, and Logan tried to hide his surprise. He rarely saw her without friends. Even more surprising, she quickly closed the gap between them.

"Logan!" she called breathlessly.

Stunned that she was addressing him, he gave her his most charming dimpled grin, and took off his sunglasses to greet her. She stared at him, a worried expression on her delicate features.

"Hey," he said apprehensively, feeling a little less confident than he was used to. "I was just-" He wondered for a moment if she were about to tell him off for waiting outside for her all the time, when she cut him off with a shake of her head. He was still basking in the glory of hearing him speak his name for the first time, when she spoke.

"Logan, did you hear?" she asked, concern lacing her tone.

He looked puzzled. "Hear what?"

"That boy, Steven Bishop...he died today." Logan's face fell. "The talk of the town, is that you were the other driver. Logan, is that true?" she asked fearfully.

Logan swallowed hard. The queasiness building in the pit of his stomach was threatening to humiliate him for life. He managed to shake his head. "N-no," he stammered, "that isn't true."

She threw her lean arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug of relief. "Oh, thank God!" she cried. She stood back and looked him over appreciatively. Logan blushed.

Where was his famous charm, he wondered. He was supposed to be impressing her with his bad-boy image, the same one that had girls following him home all the time. Instead, he was standing there, gawking at her, waiting for her to make the next move.

"I was wondering, " she began, fidgeting a bit, "would you like to stop back here for dinner tonight? You could meet my family, and we could get to know each other better. You know...other than like this."

It was her turn to blush, and she did it with finesse. A deep shade of pink colored her pale skin from the neck up. Logan broke into a full grin, the confidence resurfacing now that he realized the effect he obviously had on her.

"Sure. I'd love to," he said. "What time?"

"Seven would be good," she said, quickly regaining her composure.

"See you then," Logan said with a crooked grin. He climbed back into his car, and watched her hips sway as she walked back to the diner and disappeared inside.

When he was a block away, he allowed himself to mull over the facts. _The boy had died. He was the other driver. He just lied to the most beautiful girl in the world. The first time they ever spoke to one another...based on lies. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but how would she see him if she knew the truth? The other guys. Oh my God. Kendall..._

Silent tears slid down his cheeks. The words _'Talk of the town' _ kept replaying in his head, spoken in Lana's sweet voice. He had really screwed up this time... and there was no turning back.

He pulled up to the beach house, carefully maneuvering the car into the narrow garage. He looked down at the concrete floor, still dark with dampness, and made a mental note to ask the others why his car and the garage floor, was wet when he left that morning. He entered the kitchen to find the others waiting for him there.

"Hey," he said quietly. They just stared. "Yes, I heard," Logan said, looking down at his feet.

Kendall's arms were folded across his chest, his eyes wild with fear, and his jaw set at an odd angle. Logan couldn't look at him. No one spoke.

"I have to get ready guys. I'm going out later." He tried to walk around to get to the hallway, but Kendall gripped his arm.

"You're not leaving this house tonight," he said.

"What? I don't have a curfew. I'm going out. I can't change the facts," Logan said.

"Guys?" Kendall said to the other two.

"You're not going out, Logan," James said firmly. Logan looked over to Carlos. Carlos shook his head.

Logan slid down the kitchen wall, head in hands. "Look, I know how bad this is guys. I know there's no way out of it and...I deserve whatever happens." He began to sob softly, feeling overwhelmed with total despair.

Kendall stood over his crumpled form and placed his hands firmly on his shoulders. Logan expected to be yelled at, or even hit, but he didn't expect to feel the strong arms lifting him gently. Kendall placed an arm under his trembling knees, one around his waist, and carried him down the hall to their bedroom. He gently deposited him on the bed and climbed in beside him. He pulled him close, resting the smaller boy's head on his chest.

He let Logan release all the fear and remorse he held inside. He was planning on doing the same thing by sharing his own past, but Logan needed him now. It was a long time, before he finally heard him stop sniffling and succumb to exhausted sleep. Kendall stroked back the dark hair and sighed.

Now, he had to accept the fact that he could still lose him, and he just couldn't let that happen. He wondered how his life would be different if his younger brother had lived. Would he still feel the way he felt about Logan? He couldn't help but tear up when Logan whimpered in his sleep. He held him tighter, and he responded by molding himself to his body. He believed he would.

xxx

**Hey, it does not look good for the boys now. They need a miracle. :c**

**Comments would be great!**

**Crumpet**


	10. Revelations

**A/N: I'd like to thank the new reviewers, and it looks like we finally have some guys on board too. Yay, and welcome! I appreciate your comments.**

**Thank you winterschild11, Sassyascanbe14, bubzchoc, StoryLover04, LazyLazyWriter, HappyDazeChick, Shay, SimonSez, Fifties Dude, Tony, and other guests. ;)**

**BTW, I still do not own Big Time Rush.**

**10. Revelations**

Logan woke up in a panic. "Shit!" He ran a hand through his unwashed hair, and sat up.

Kendall flopped to the side, jarred by the sudden movement. He took one look at Logan's sullen expression and knew why. He missed his date with Lana the night before.

"You needed your rest," Kendall said, without giving him eye-contact.

"Not as much as I needed to be there," Logan said sadly.

Kendall rubbed his back. "She'll understand."

"How do you know? I was lucky to even get a chance with her, never mind an invite to meet her parents. Let's face it, I screwed up."

"_You_ were lucky and not her? Who are you, and what the hell did you do with Logan?" Kendall said with a sly smile.

Logan didn't laugh. He threw back the covers, bolted from the bed to the bathroom, and slammed the door behind him. Kendall sighed and covered his face with the blanket.

"Seems to be a new bad habit of Logan's, banging that bathroom door," James said, poking his head around the doorway. James saw Kendall was sulking too. "'Nother tiff for you two?"

Kendall shook his head under the blanket, hair flopping over the top. He was happy for Logan that he found someone he liked so much, but he was worried about where it would lead and how it would ultimately change their relationship. He also wasn't thrilled about not knowing where he was all the time. Especially, until the deal with the cops blew over.

If it ever could blow over that is, he thought. Then, there was that _something else._ That nagging bit of jealousy that Kendall couldn't understand. A gnawing feeling that he wouldn't like being pushed aside to make room for a new person in Logan's life.

"Carlos is busy making pancakes," James' voice sliced into his thoughts. "Kitchen's a disaster, but they're smelling good."

"Not hungry," Kendall grumbled.

"Aw, come on, I'm bumming about everything too, but we're talking pancakes here!" James prodded.

Kendall forced a smile. "Just give me a few and I'll be there."

"Righto," James said, leaving. Kendall covered his head back up, but with a stack of pillows this time, and groaned.

Logan finished showering and walked back in, clad only in a towel. He was surprised to find Kendall with his head buried in pillows, still in his bed. He wasn't sure why he felt like taking his anger out on him when he knew it was his own fault the night ended the way it had, but he did.

He guessed he was still pouting over the run-in they had the other night over the accident. Kendall as the enforcer, was definitely a blow to his ego. However, if he was honest with himself, he knew Kendall had every right to walk away from their friendship over the trouble he caused.

He turned away and pulled on his clean clothes. Kendall sensing his presence from deep within his cavern of pillows, slowly lowered them to study Logan fussing with his hair in the mirror. "Going somewhere?"

It was just the right words to set Logan off. He spun around, eyes flashing. He was already upset over Lana, now he was about to endure another inquisition. "Is that all right, Daddy?" he snapped sarcastically.

Kendall was out of the bed in a flash. His equally fiery eyes locked with Logan's. "I thought we just went through all this! Don't call me _that_!"

"What are you so frosted about? I thought you'd like it!" Logan said coyly. He folded his arms protectively across his chest, and tried his best not to back away from the seething Kendall.

Kendall's expression softened a bit when he saw the determined look on Logan's face. "Logan, we need to talk."

Logan turned away, and slowly combed more pomade into his dark hair. "I thought we did that yesterday morning, and I haven't done anything new to earn me a chewing out, so..." He shrugged and returned to his hair.

Kendall's eyes followed his hands, where he promptly stopped one from its busy work, and held it still. "I don't mean just me and you. All of you...Carlos and James included. Besides, Carlos hasn't burned down the kitchen yet, and there are pancakes on the griddle. We should have some time during breakfast to talk. That is, unless...you're leaving?"

"I'll have a quick breakfast first, but then I really do owe Lana some kind of explanation," Logan said with a lost look.

"Cool beans," Kendall said, adjusting his arm comfortably around his smaller friend. "She likes you, it won't be the end."

Logan stopped. "Just let me finish up here.'

"Okie-dokie," Kendall said, and left him alone in the room.

Logan sat on the edge of the bed, deep in thought. He understood they were in a real mess, but there had to be a way to reconcile things. After all, he had no way of knowing that the boy would be hurt, never mind die. Life really couldn't be that unfair, could it?

"Pancakes are ready, Loges," James said. Logan followed him out to the kitchen, and sat at the chrome table. They all tried to overlook the various mixing bowls, broken egg shells, spilled batter, and utensils littering the counter-tops. They even over-looked the fact that Carlos was spattered head-to-toe with pancake batter.

Instead, they heaped their plates with the amazingly tasty-looking pancakes, and dug in. James drizzled a puddle of syrup on his stack, and stuffed a forkful into his mouth. He chewed appreciatively. "My compliments to the chef!" he said with a wink.

Carlos blushed proudly and shrugged. "My mom taught me how to make them," he said.

"Yeah, they're great," Logan said, never looking up.

"Fantastic," Kendall agreed. "Look, there's something I need to talk to you guys about."

They sensed an ominous tone in his words, and laid their forks down to give him their undivided attention. Logan was nervous. He had no idea what Kendall was about to say, but he had a feeling it had something to do with him.

"We've been friends all these years, but I haven't come completely clean with you guys." Logan shifted nervously in his chair and held his breath. Kendall looked down at his hands. "I-I had a brother once."

Everyone gasped. "What do you mean...a brother?" Carlos asked.

"What do **you **mean_-once?"_ James asked. Logan sat gaping at Kendall. How could he have not known this?

"Kendall blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over. "We were so young. Not long before I met you guys. Kyle was always hanging around me and my friends. You remember me talking about George and Leo?"

They nodded, too stunned to speak. "Well, we couldn't stand having my little brother following us all over the place...telling mom everything we did. We told him to g-get lost," Kendall said, choking up.

Logan went to Kendall, and wrapped his arms around his shaking shoulders from behind. Kendall quickly composed himself. "That's typical of an older brother," Logan said softly.

"I-I remember him crying, and running off to tell on me. I was so mad at him. Somehow...he ended up finding our dad, out working in the garage. He ended up going with him to get parts for the car." Kendall closed his eyes, reliving the horror.

"Kendall..." James said, rising to join Logan.

Carlos remained glued to his chair, tears streaming down his cheeks. He knew something really bad was coming. "He never came home to us," Kendall finished.

"W-what?" Carlos cried.

"My mom got a phone call from the hospital. My dad was in intensive care with a bunch of broken bones, but-but my b-brother was gone," he sobbed. Logan kneaded his tense shoulders and buried his face into his neck, feeling his pain and crying with him.

"That wasn't because of you, Kendall. It was an accident," James reasoned.

"You don't understand," Kendall said. "Kyle never wanted to go with my dad. They weren't that close. Kyle was even kind of afraid of him. He drank too much, and he always made me out to be the only golden boy. He didn't want a second kid. Kyle only went with him...because I kicked him out of my room. My dad had a lot of beers that day. It was all my fault..."

"Don't do this, Kendall," Logan pleaded. "You can't live with that kind of blame." It was obvious that Kendall believed his father had caused the car accident.

"I loved him so much!" Kendall cried, covering his wet face with both hands.

"He loved you too, and he doesn't blame you for what happened!" Carlos said.

"How could we not –know any of this?" James asked incredulously. "No one-" He was perplexed.

"We couldn't talk about it," Kendall said simply, calming down and wiping at his face. "My mom couldn't talk about...him at all afterward. I learned not to bring him up ever, because it would just devastate her."

"That's not healthy," Logan said softly.

Kendall nodded. "I know, and my dad never treated me like the golden boy after Kyle was gone, that's for sure. I swear he blamed me too. We barely even spoke before he left us. Katie was only two and half, when he hit the road. He wasn't about to stick around and raise another kid he didn't want."

"Is that -" Logan decided not to finish his question. The question burning deep inside of him. Was he seeing him as the little brother he lost?

"I love you guys," Kendall continued, ignoring the unfinished question, and looking into Logan's caring eyes. He pulled his slender body close to him, and buried his face into his stomach. Logan petted his hair and looked at the other two helplessly.

Kendall swallowed the lump in his throat and sighed. He too wondered if that wasn't why he couldn't stand to think of losing Logan. It would be like going through the pain of losing his little brother all over again. But, he couldn't deny that there was more to it. He simply loved the guy. In what way, he didn't know. As much as the others in many ways, and more than the others in some way. Kendall was decidedly confused.

"You need to get to Lana," Kendall said, suddenly pushing him away.

Logan bit his lower lip, debating what to do. The whole thing was emotionally draining for him, and he couldn't imagine just walking out his friend now.

"I can go a little later," Logan offered.

"No, I insist that you go now," Kendall said in a fatherly tone. He slapped him on the bottom and smiled.

"Yes Da-," Logan stopped himself, looking sheepish.

"Daddy, I know," Kendall chuckled. James and Carlos looked confused, while Logan looked down guiltily.

"I'll be here when you get back," Kendall said somberly. "You can tell me all about it."

Logan nodded and grabbed his jean jacket off the hook. "Bye, guys," he said sadly.

"Bye, Logan," they chorused.

"Be careful," Kendall called.

xxx

Logan's mind was swimming with the words Kendall used. 'My brother' and 'my fault', kept replaying in his head. It was all so messed up, and he couldn't help but feel responsible for making all the pain Kendall kept buried inside over the years, resurface. Disappointing Kendall hurt deeply, and now knowing this was just too much to digest. What had he done? The accident...Kendall thinking he almost lost him... He was the worst friend and brother ever.

He pulled up to the diner and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how to begin explaining why he didn't show the night before. Her parents had to think he was an idiot, or worse, a cad. He already told her he had nothing to do with the boy's death, so he couldn't tell the truth now. He wasn't responsible for the boy's death. That was the truth, wasn't it?

He climbed out of the car, and made his way to the door before he could change his mind. He wasn't used to actually entering the place, only seeing it from across the road.

Inside the diner bustled with activity. He welcomed the chatting patrons, dishes clanking into tubs, and music playing on the jukebox. He liked the warm, cozy atmosphere, and it eased his nerves a bit. He sat on the first vacant stool at the counter, and smiled at the older red-headed woman, ready to take his order.

"Don't I know you, doll?" she asked. He saw the name-tag said _Roxanne._

"I don't know, you might, Roxanne," Logan said with a grin.

"Yeah...you're one-fourth of that adorable group that sings, aren't you? Plus, I see you hanging outside a _lot._" She glanced around, then leaned down to Logan's level. "Got a crush on Lana, huh?"

Logan blushed and nodded. "Can I order?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"She has a crush on you too," she whispered knowingly. "So, what can I get you?"

"A coke and a chicken sandwich," he said confidently. He leaned forward, and she bent back down. "How do you know?" he whispered.

"Well, because when you didn't show last night, she about went through the roof. You're in big trouble, mister."

"Story of my life," Logan groaned. She chuckled.

"Oh, here she is now, speak of the devil!" She winked, and let Lana take her place at the counter.

Logan felt the heat rise to his cheeks. "Hey," he said.

Lana folded her arms. "Hey," she said crossly.

"I'm really sorry about last night.." he began. "Give your parents my apologies."

"I know," she said cutting him off.

"You know?" he said, frowning.

"I know you were the other driver," she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?'

Logan's jaw dropped. "How could you know... that?" he whispered, giving the old man working on his pie and coffee next to him, an annoyed look for listening in.

"Because I know everything that goes on in this town. We own a diner, remember?" she asked in exasperation.

Logan looked down at the counter-top. "I'm sorry," he said flatly, figuring his chance with her was blown.

"You need my help," she said. Logan's eyes darted up to hers beautiful blue-green ones.

"How?" he asked.

"Just say you'll accept it, and I'll see what I can do," she said, blushing when he caught her eyes roaming over him. He nodded.

"Chicken sandwich and a coke!" the waitress announced, nudging Lana over and depositing the glass and plate in front of him. Lana smiled and Logan smiled back. "You two really are precious," the waitress said, shaking her head before heading back to the kitchen.

"Thanks, Roxanne!" Lana called with a giggle.

"So, I'm not in the doghouse?" Logan asked, taking a sip of his coke.

"Oh, you're in the doghouse, but it might be fun having you there." Logan gave her a crooked grin, exposing every dimple. "Just don't ever lie to me, or leave me in the dark from this point on," she warned.

He held his hands up in surrender. "I swear, I won't," he promised. The old man watched and Logan sighed.

Lana leaned down, and Logan fought hard to not stare down her pale pink angora sweater. "That's Jim, he's harmless," she whispered. "Comes here every day." Logan nodded at the old man and waved.

Catching him off-guard, Lana quickly kissed Logan on the tip of the nose, and disappeared back into the kitchen before he could react. The old man smiled for the first time since he'd been there, and Logan smiled back. He fidgeted happily on his stool as he he took a bite of one of the best chicken sandwiches he ever had.

xxx

Carlos headed to the garage for his shift, still thinking about Kendall. He wondered how it was possible to know someone as long as they had known one another, and not know about his brother's death. He rounded a bend, tilting his cycle to hug the curve, when he spotted something in his side-view mirror.

The piercing drone of a siren cut through the air, and Carlos sucked in an irritated breath. "Damn it!" he cursed.

He pulled to the side of the road, and waited for the man to exit the vehicle. It was Zimmer, and he sauntered up smugly, snapping his gum and smirking all the while.

"Well, well. Going a bit fast there, weren't you?" he asked.

Was he? Carlos honestly wasn't sure any more, but he didn't think he was. He was so deep in thought, that he began to doubt himself.

"N-no," Carlos stammered.

"Calling me a liar?" Zimmer asked ,inching his face closer to his.

Carlos sighed. "Look, we know you plan to take all us down, but I wasn't speeding and you know it."

Zimmer's face hardened. "Listen punk, you were going at least fifty in a thirty-five, and you'll be lucky if I don't revoke your license for this."

"What? I can't get to work without a license! Without work, I can't pay for my share at the bungalow!" Carlos exclaimed.

The policeman snickered, and pulled out his tablet and pen. "You should think about that before you speed the next time. I'll let you off the hook this once, but it will be the last," he warned, handing him the warning ticket he scribbled out.

"Thanks," Carlos said. He knew the man was messing with him, but he couldn't hide the relief ton his face, hat it was a warning and not an actual ticket. He didn't want to have to explain it to his father.

The officer left him on the side of the road, where Carlos made the decision that he had to concede and call Papi. He had to tell him what was going on with the local police. His gut told him it wouldn't end until one of them was behind bars if he didn't.

xxx

James couldn't shake what had happened that day, either. Kendall's revelations left him reeling. It showed on camera, and more than once he heard the photographer shout, "Give it some feeling, young man!"

The girl working with him shot him a dirty look. She thought he was gorgeous when he first arrived for the shoot, but after being ignored by the pretty boy for the last hour, she was more annoyed than attracted.

He had only a few more days of the job remaining, and he didn't need to mess up now. He pushed aside the gloomy thoughts, and focused on posing for the camera.

"Better!" the man shouted.

On the drive home, James' thoughts returned to his private life. He knew for a while that Kendall doted on Logan more than Carlos or himself, and he couldn't help but worry that Logan's relationship with Lana would take a toll on Kendall somehow. Sometimes he even saw the two friends as co-dependent with one another. He wasn't exactly sure what the term for their complicated relationship was, but he knew that one was as dependent on the other, as the other was.

A loving father-figure was lacking in Logan's life, as far as he was concerned, and he wondered if Kendall didn't somehow fill that void somewhat. He remembered from their childhood, that the type of parenting Logan received from his dad was nothing short of harmful. Logan always seemed eager to please the man, but he never felt he could. All he ever received in return for good grades and athletic achievement, was contrite advice and criticism.

James wondered if Kendall's opinion was so important to Logan, because of it. He wanted to please Kendall so much sometimes, that he wound up badly hurt when he knew Kendall was angry or disappointed in him. James sighed when he pulled up to the beach house. He wondered how Kendall had fared alone all day.

He entered to find Kendall back in bed. It wasn't like him to sleep in late, but he was likely emotionally exhausted after that morning. Besides, since the accident, he seemed stay home more and more. He wondered if his long-time friend was about to spiral into depression.

James knocked lightly on the door frame of the bedroom, and Kendall opened one eye. "Home already, James?" he asked.

"Already? It's four o'clock in the afternoon!" James cried.

"Uggh. Carlos and Logan still out?"

"Yep. Wanna' have a snack with me? I'm starving," James said.

"Sure." Kendall climbed from the bed fully clothed, and stretched.

They sat at the table making lunch-meat sandwiches, and listening to the radio. "I can't wait until we hear ourselves on that radio," James said wistfully.

Kendall nodded, then jumped when the phone rang. His whole body tensed. He hoped it wasn't bad news about Carlos or Logan.

"Hello?" James answered. "What? Why? What does that have to do with anything, Mike? I see. Yeah, of course I'll let the guys know," he said sadly, hanging up.

Kendall noted how pale James looked. "What is it?" Kendall asked warily.

"That was the club. They canceled our gig for Friday night."

"What?" Kendall cried. "Why?"

"Because Mike said it wouldn't be good for business right now, you know to have us play there, with all the rumors flying around. He said he was sorry."

"Some good that does!" Kendall said, leaping from his chair and knocking it to the floor. "This is going to fuck up Logan's head! He's going to blame himself!"

"Kendall, it is because of Logan and the accident. You know that. We're never going to get away from this," James moaned, hanging his head in his hands.

"Don't say anything to Logan until he tells us what went down with Lana," Kendall said quietly. "Give him that moment first, then we'll tell him," Kendall said.

"Okay," James said, his eyes filling up with tears of sorrow. "Kendall, I don't want to blow our one shot at the jukebox. I worked hard for this too. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, but we'll think of something," he assured him. He put his arms around his friend's neck, and rested his chin on the top of his head. "We have to stay strong James, and we can never give up. I realize that now, more than ever."

**So, things aren't going well as far as their music careers, are they? Sigh...**

**Thanks for reading and please review? It will make my day! =^.^=**

**Crumpet**


	11. Attraction

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone. They motivate me to get this story going! **

**A big shout-out to winterschild11, Sassyascanbe14, Danny Zuko Chick, Tony, Simon, Fifties Dude, LazyLazyWriter, buzchoc, SmileyFaceBitch (lol) and guests! You rock n' roll! What? Hey, it's the fifties...**

**11. Attraction**

Logan walked into the living area looking happier than he had in a long time.

"Ooh, spill!" Carlos cried immediately.

"What?" Logan said innocently. He plopped down in a chair, leaned back and closed his eyes, a small smile turning up his lips.

"Did you make out with her?" Carlos prodded. Logan actually blushed. "Man, you are on cloud nine!" Carlos teased. "Someone is so attracted, that they're blushing just talking about her!" Carlos pointed and giggled. "Aha! You did make out!"

"No!" Logan intervened, "I didn't kiss her...but she did kind of kiss me," he mumbled, biting his lip with a smile still behind the words.

Kendall studied Logan, hoping it wasn't too obvious that he was actually surprised about the kiss. Logan read the look. "It was just on the tip of the nose, and no big deal, really," he said.

"Aw...how sweet," James said. Logan stood, and shoved his hands deep into the front pockets of his khakis.

"Man, you are real gone," Carlos continued to tease.

"I am not!" Logan exclaimed. "Look, I was pleasantly surprised that she forgave me so easily for not showing, so I had a sandwich at the diner. She gave me a quick peck, and then I basically hung out with some old pop who was sitting next to me. Her parents want to meet with me next time, because they weren't even there today. That's all there was to it."

"Cool," Carlos said.

"Yeah. I was even thinking about inviting her and her friends to watch us play this weekend," Logan said happily.

"Yeah...about all that," Kendall piped in.

Logan steeled himself for a new lecture. He threw Kendall a defiant look. He was not about to have his friend dictate whether he could date, or even leave the house for that matter. He folded his arms, and widened his feet to plant himself firmly before Kendall.

Kendall acknowledged Logan's battle stance, and would have found it amusing if the situation wasn't so grave. "Hey, lose the attitude, Logan," he warned quietly.

Logan clenched his jaw, and fought back the urge to begin a new battle of wills. "What do you want to say to me, Kendall?" he said sweetly, instead.

"That there isn't going to be a gig on Friday. We lost it. Seems Mike doesn't want 'the man' hanging around his club scaring off patrons, or any association with the accident."

Logan paled. He knew they lost the gig because of him, plain and simple. "Guys, I'm s-sorry," he stammered, looking down.

"Me, too," James said curtly. "What are we supposed to do now, Logan?"

Logan was silent, feeling himself sink into despair once more. Lana would certainly hear about the lost gig. Word seemed to spread fast.

"So Logan, still got that attitude?" Kendall said. Logan fiddled with the bottom of his sweater. "What is Lana going to think about this?" Kendall asked. This time Logan cringed.

Kendall hoped he didn't sound jealous, but he was in a way. Here they were trying to fix the damage Logan had created, and he was beginning a new relationship with someone else. Someone he heard was an up and coming star, but never met.

"I'll tell her right away. She said she wanted to help us and I admit I don't know how, but you guys know her reputation. She knows a lot of people. Good Hollywood squares with lots of pull. Hey, she got a part in a new movie coming out next year," he added excitedly. He already seemed proud of her.

"She told you that?" Carlos asked.

"No," Logan conceded. "I kind of...found out on my own."

"Spying," Kendall filled in for the others.

"I wouldn't exactly call it _spying,"_ Logan said defensively.

"Lets face it, you're whipped. That girl could snap her fingers, and you'll come running like a faithful puppy," Kendall said with a smirk.

"She's not like that-" Logan said, before Kendall cut him off.

"Next thing you know, Logie will have a mirror warmer in that little cherry bomb of his, and he will be lost to the chick forever," Kendall said smugly.

Logan reddened, a bit of anger settling into his dark eyes. "Kendall, stop." he wrapped his arms protectively around himself. "She's not going to make me drive around with a mirror warmer. I don't think it's her style. She's a nice girl."

"Well, maybe it will be your idea, instead," Kendall added, watching Logan's blush deepen.

"Hang on, how can she help us?" James wanted to know.

Logan shrugged. "She mentioned it, not me. Said she was working on helping us out of this mess."

"Does she know...you know, _the whole truth_?" Carlos asked. Logan nodded.

"Yeah, I had no choice but to tell her."

"Well, she seems to get the truth out of you more easily than we do, that's for sure," Kendall said, earning another dark look from Logan.

"Guys!" James snapped. "Stay focused! The gig is on the front burner! Losing it is a real drag, and I want it fixed!"

"Fixed? Then Logan would have to rewind time, and choose to _not _be an ass. He would have to say no to those mushroom people, who challenged him to a race that night. He would have to use all those jets God gave him, to say no. What were you thinking anyway, Logan, with everything we've achieved so far at stake?" Kendall scolded, shaking his head.

Logan's eyes welled up. He shook his head. "Don't patronize me, Kendall! Just admit that you are never, ever going to forgive me," he said sadly. "Nothing will fix this, I know that. I disappointed you, just like I always disappointed my dad." He ran from the room, and banged the bathroom door behind him.

Kendall sighed, already feeling bad that he upset him again, but, a part of him wanted to take him down a notch. Bring him down from the happy place he found with Lana, and make him feel what they were all feeling; afraid to move forward.

"That was a bit harsh, Kendall," Carlos said.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Kendall admitted.

"I think you should tell _him_ that," Carlos said.

Kendall nodded. He went to the bathroom door and tapped lightly. He pressed his face to where the door met the frame. "Logan, I'm sorry."

The door opened slowly, and he could see that Logan had regained his composure. Kendall pulled him into a hug. Logan hugged him back, burying his face into his chest.

"I'm glad that Lana forgave you. You deserve some happiness, and I never meant to treat you like your dad used to."

"I know," Logan said.

"Logan, I'm jealous." Logan's body tensed in his embrace. Kendall released him. "What I mean, is it's always just been us...and girls kind of came and went. We kept it separate from our relationship. I just have a feeling that this girl is going to be different."

Logan didn't deny it. He felt she was different from the others, too. "Kendall, this won't change our relationship. I mean, we'll be as close as ever. Unless, you treat _me_ differently."

"We'll see," Kendall said quietly. Logan looked perplexed. He studied the hurt green eyes, and tried to understand where his friend was coming from. "Let's tell the guys you didn't come in here to drown yourself, or anything," Kendall said with an impish gleam in his eye.

Logan grinned. "Yeah."

xxx

Carlos waited until the next morning to dial his father. "Papi?"

"My boy!"

"Can we talk privately?" Carlos asked.

"Of course. I could head out that way and have lunch today. Meet me halfway, at that little dive called _The Silver Spoon. _I have some news to share with you, too."

"Really? Good news, I hope?"

"It is to me. I don't know if it is to your mother, but you'll know what I mean when I get there," he said.

Carlos was nervous. He was never comfortable with big change. He was still adjusting to the move from Minnesota to California, when the boys had decided to try their luck at becoming a singing group.

Once there, they met Griffin through some people familiar with the recording business, a multimillionaire who offered them a beach house to stay in. The deal was that they had six months to live there while they searched for work, when he would expect a cut of their profits in return for the rent.

Shortly after, the Garcias followed to be near their son. His father transferred from his police department in Minnesota, to one in California. Even though they were an hour away, they could see one another often enough.

James' mother followed her son too, starting up her own cosmetic business there, since make-up was beginning to peak interest in many young women. Only problem was, she was extremely busy and didn't stay there full-time. She was still running another store back in Minnesota, and flitted between the two.

Kendall's mother and sister also came and started new lives there, settling in nicely with the warm climate and seemingly endless opportunities for his young, yet ambitious sister. They were the closest to the bungalow on the beach, and saw them the most often. Mrs. became a sort of surrogate mother, and checked on the boys often.

The only one who did not have a parent along, was Logan. His remained in Minnesota. Although he planned to return for a visit at the holidays, it would be hard for him to leave the other guys behind. Sometimes they could all see that he felt left out. All the guys worked hard to change that. Kendall worked the hardest.

xxx

Officer Garcia pulled into the café where he agreed to meet his son. Carlos parked his cycle in a vacant spot, tapped out the kick-stand and dismounted. He whistled long and low, as he circled the motorcycle his father was seated on, waiting.

"Papi? What's this!"

Officer Garcia chuckled. "My new chariot," he said with a grin. "It's what I always wanted, son. To become one of California's finest, the California Highway Patrol is like a dream, but add a cycle... You're not the only one who loves a good hog, right? You got that from your old man."

"I know. No wonder mom's not happy, though. She worries about me as it is, now she has to worry about you, too," Carlos said.

"Ah son, she worries anyway. Always afraid I'm going to take a bullet, or something."

Carlos nodded. "I know Papi, but this is just one more thing, isn't it?"

"Don't tell me you're agreeing with her?"

"Naw," Carlos said, a bit unconvincingly. He ran his hand over the shiny black enamel of the police cycle. "It's way cool. I just...it doesn't offer a lot of protection in your line of duty, does it?"

He hugged his son close, and slapped him affectionately on the back. "Yeah, but now my job is to pull over speeders, and those that break the rules of the road. Before, I was dealing with domestic violence calls and robberies. Plenty of guns and knives found there."

Carlos shuddered slightly. He tried to never imagine his father confronting anyone with _real_ weapons. In his mind, his father was some sort of Superhero, arriving at the scene of a crime. The visualization always ended with his papi overpowering the culprit due to his incredible strength and skill. Afterward, he would cuff them and toss them in jail, without incident.

"You wear your helmet every time you ride, don't you son?" He asked Carlos, with deep concern in his eyes.

"Yeah, I love my helmet," he assured him with a wide grin, giving it a pat.

"That's my boy," Officer Garcia said, patting the helmet as well.

"I'm happy for you, Papi, I really am," Carlos said.

"Let's go in and have a quick bite, son. You can tell me what you have to say." With their arms around one anothers waists, they went inside.

"Hello boys. What can I get you two today?" a friendly waitress named Wanda asked.

"Iced tea to start," Officer Garcia said. She nodded and left them with the menus.

Back with the tea, she waited for them to place their order. "A cheeseburger, fries and a large chocolate malt," Carlos answered without hesitation.

His dad chuckled. "What the heck, just give me the same."

"Right on it," she said with a smile.

After ordering, the two sat face-to-face. "Something's bothering my Carlitos," he said decidedly. "Your face can never lie."

Carlos nodded, his dark eyes thoughtful. "The local police have a bone to pick with us, Papi."

"Why's that?" He tore open a sugar packet and stirred it into his iced tea.

Carlos sighed and pulled his lower lip between his teeth. "It all started one night when I made a run to get some beer. We were having a small get together and we ran out early. Some guys in a black car followed me to the liquor store, and at first I thought it was Kendall trying to catch up to tell me something.

But, it wound up being some real jerks who flipped me off and made some snide remarks. Old man Richards warned me to be careful on the way home, and I thought it was a little odd." Carlos looked up to gauge his father's reaction so far.

"Go ahead, son," he said, an angry edge creeping into his tone.

"I made it about half-way home, before I was pulled over by the fu- police," he quickly changed the last word.

"I know the youth call us fuzz, son, It's all right," he said, trying to suppress a smile. He wanted to get to the bottom of the story.

"Sorry," Carlos said, looking down guiltily. "Then they ran me off the road into a ditch."

"_**What?"**_ he said. "Did you say, ran you off the road? Intentionally?" he asked, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. A young couple nearby turned to stare.

"Papi," Carlos whispered, forcing a smile for the couple. They nodded.

"What's really going down, son? I don't see men that wear the uniform, doing that...unless they thought you were someone else, maybe?"

Carlos shook his head. "I don't know why they did it, Papi, but it doesn't end there. They told me to never speak of it to anyone, _ever._ Then, not long after that, Logan got into some trouble of his own. Turns out, he was challenged to a race by the same guys...and well, I think you know the rest of the story."

His father could not hide the shock he felt. He pounded a fist down on the tabletop, causing the condiments to bounce. The couple turned to stare again. "I should whip that boy's ass! What the hell was he thinking? We've all taught you boys right from wrong-"

"Papi! I met you privately, to avoid this! We're young, we make mistakes," he tried to reason.

"Well, it's a big one, that's for sure. That kid died. Does Joanna know?"

"No," Carlos said quietly, twiddling his thumbs.

"Well, she needs to know. And, his Pops too."

"No!" Carlos cried. "Papi, don't bring _him_ into this. You know how hard he is on Logan, and he's devastated over this, as it is."

"He needs to realize how just serious this is. I don't want you going down with him, son."

"Logan is my friend and my brother. You know that."

"I do, and I think of him as another son as well. But..." He shook his head sadly. "I don't know where this will go, or what it will do for your future plans."

"We already lost a gig this week, and Kendall has been on Logan's case something fierce."

"He should be. I'm going to come around and talk to that boy myself. Tell him to expect me tomorrow about the same time, up at your place."

"Okay."

"As far as the two officers who messed with you even before the race, who the hell are they?"

xxx

Logan went to get a snack from the cheerful red and white kitchen. He leaned into the fridge and scanned the shelves. He pulled out a few left-over items, and the pitcher of lemonade. When a knock sounded on the kitchen door, he jumped.

He glanced at the wall clock. It was it little past noon, and he wasn't expecting anyone. He went to the door, warily peeking between the slats of the blind on the door. A man in a postal uniform waited on the stoop. Logan opened the door with relief.

"Hey," he greeted. "letter for one of us?" He didn't see a package.

"Yes, sir," the man said flatly. "Sign here."

Logan scribbled his signature and thanked him. He tried to read who the sender was as he closed the door. County Jail? Addressed to him? He sat down at the table, and laid the letter down. He stared at it like it was about to detonate.

Finally, after a few moments of listening to the clock tick in the silence of the house, he picked it up. He tore it open quickly and unfolded it.

_Mr. Mitchell,_

_You have failed to show for an interview with the Los Angeles Police Department. If you do not notify us at once, to set up a new date and time, we will have no choice but to bring you in under formal charges._

_You may come in Monday through Wednesday, between the hours of noon and four p.m. We suggest you do._

_We look forward to hearing from you soon to resolve this urgent matter._

_Officer Barton_

_Officer Zimmer_

Logan sat motionless staring down at the letter in his hands. He had disregarded their order to go to the court building and speak with them, because he was terrified to do it. He had hoped that somehow it would all just blow over, but then, the boy died.

Losing his appetite, he put the food and lemonade back in the fridge. He put on a fresh white button-down shirt, and combed his thick dark hair. He wrote a quick note for the guys, and snapped the palm tree magnet over it. He headed to his convertible with legs that felt like jello. He knew that he needed to get this over with.

xxx

James went in to pick up photos he was told he could keep from the photo-shoot. He stopped at the counter, and waited for the blonde seated behind the desk to hang up the phone and acknowledge him. She glanced over, then gave an eye-roll toward the ceiling. She sighed long and loud.

"Yeah, one of the beef-cakes just showed up, so I have to go. I'll call you back when I get rid of him. Oh really? What time?"

James smiled to himself. Beefcake, huh? Then he scowled. Get rid of him? He walked over, and studied the photos hanging on the wall to pass the time until the annoying young women finished her call. His gaze landed on a particularly interesting one.

A beautiful girl with large blue-green eyes, a full pink mouth and a mass of chestnut curls, smiled back at him. He recognized her instantly as the girl that Logan was after, Lana. If he hadn't claimed dibs the first time he laid eyes on her, James may have gone for her himself.

The blonde hung up the phone with a bang. "Men," she mumbled. "May I help you, sir?"

"Uh..." he pointed to the photo. "Isn't she Lana Branson?"

"Sure," she said.

"She's modeled here before?" James asked, surprised by the coincidence.

"Still does. Now what can I do for you?" she asked impatiently.

"I'm here to pick up some photos."

"Name?"

"James. James Diamond."

She looked up at him with a giggle. "Right."

She rummaged through the files and pulled out a folder. She peeked inside, her smile growing."Hmmm, these are definitely you," she said appreciatively.

James snatched them from her grasp. "Thanks," he said, leafing through them.

"There's also a note in there, that was left by the big kahuna," she pointed out. James found the note and read it.

_Mr. Diamond, _

_We were impressed with your professionalism while here, and pleased with your photos. _

_Please set up an appointment with our secretary to see me again, asap._

_Sincerely,_

_Mr. Daniels_

James flashed her a cheesecake smile. She was so much less annoying now that he had received the note. "I would like to set up an appointment with Mr. Daniels," he said, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Right," she said again. "Date?"

"What? Oh yeah, tomorrow," James replied, not wanting to waste any time. She rolled her eyes. They didn't have a gig set up now, anyway, he thought.

"Time?"

"As early as he will accept me," he said.

"Right." She sighed again, making James want to strangle her, just for fun. "Thursday at nine o' clock. That's tomorrow morning," she impressed, as if all models were imbeciles.

"See you then," he said with a wink.

It was her turn to look put off. He left whistling and jingling his keys happily. "Brainless hunk," she muttered, leaning out of her chair to watch his lower half strut past the window as he left.

xxx

Kendall sat at the seashore, letting the cool waves lap at his ankles. He inhaled deeply from his cigarette, and squinted to watch the seagulls swoop overhead. Their high-pitched chattering was soothing to his raw nerves for some reason. He thought about the past two weeks, and all that transpired.

Griffin was sure to be contacting them soon to ask questions. He wasn't sure where they would go if he told them to move out. He didn't think he could go back to living with Katie and his mom. He'd enjoyed his independence and freedom too much, since he moved out in the Spring. Besides, he was getting used to living with the guys.

He knew he couldn't work at a supermarket for the rest of his life, but since he'd thrown his hockey scholarship from Minnesota away, it was difficult to pay for college without it. This brought him back to Logan, and why he'd agreed to come here in the first place. James always had his dreams to be famous, but would wind up working with his mom if he couldn't, they always knew that. Even Carlos had his father's footsteps to follow in, if things didn't work out. But, Logan...he wanted to be a doctor ever since they met him. That wasn't something that could be left on hold for long.

Kendall just always assumed that Logan would be the first to leave, and make the quartet a trio. He would head off to medical school, and communication would consist of letters and birthday phone calls, Logan's choice. That bothered him. When he heard that Logan agreed to go to California and try for a singing career, Kendall was floored.

Privately, Kendall asked James and Carlos how they had convinced him to go, and they said that they told him that Kendall would go, so he decided to go as well. Kendall found himself agreeing as soon as he knew Logan would be there.

Now, here they were in this mess. All alone at the beach, and with no one to pretend for, Kendall let the tears slip from his sea-foam green eyes. They slid carelessly down his sun-kissed cheeks. The bitter feelings of loneliness rose to the surface, and made his heart ache. He didn't want Logan to be in love with Lana, and here he could admit it.

He stood and brushed the sand from the back of his thighs. He was headed to Branson's Diner to find out a few things. James and Carlos knew who Lana was, and he had heard of her, but he had never seen her for himself. There was something he needed to know, and that was what the big attraction between her and Logan was.

**I know not a lot happened in this chapter, but it's coming! I needed to set up for where things are headed.**

**Please review and let me know if you're still with me. ;)**

**Love,**

**Crumpet**


	12. Stripes

**A/N: Hey! I haven't updated this in a while and I just needed my leather fix. That sounded oh so bad! ;)**

**I do not own Big Time Rush!**

**Thanks for the encouraging reviews, guys! Hope that those of you who celebrate the holidays are having a good season.**

**12. Stripes**

One of the hardest things Logan had to do in his young life, was walk up that set of concrete stairs that led to the police station. He stood at the bottom fighting for a breath. He wanted to trust that the police were the good guys, and he knew that Officer Garcia was nothing but good. However, it didn't seem that way in this case.

He trudged up the steps and yanked open the heavy steel door, When it closed behind him, he jumped. It sounded so definitive, like he'd never get back out. He swallowed and nodded politely to a stern-looking woman with a tight bun, sitting at the information desk.

"I'm here to see Officers Zimmer and Barton," he said, hoping it didn't come out as weak and shaky as he felt.

She stared at him over her cat-eyed glasses for a moment. "Mmm-hmm, they're expecting you. Straight ahead and to the right."

"Thank you," he said, proceeding.

"Not so fast," she said, halting him with a voice as stern as her face. She came around the desk and looked him up and down with a sigh. "Empty your pockets here."

Surprised by the request, he hesitated. "Now," she said impatiently.

Logan scrambled to turn his empty front pockets inside out. "Back pockets," she said briskly. He pulled out his wallet and laid it on the desk top. "Sweater," she said with annoyance. "Really, I don't have all day."

He dug in the empty pockets then waited as she dug a hand in to feel around, as well. "Okay, sign here." He signed his name on the dotted line and reached for his wallet. "Identification, first," she said blandly.

He pulledhis card out and resisted the urge to roll his eyes, as she studied the photo and him repeatedly. "Okay. Go ahead."

He blew a puff of air and walked on, passing a large guard who never took his eyes from him, until he disappeared around the turn. He slowly entered the door marked Los Angeles Police Department, and tried to ignore his racing heart.

"Mr. Mitchell," Officer Zimmer greeted smugly. "Glad you could fit us into your busy schedule." He stood tentatively waiting to be guided to a chair.

"Pick one!" Officer Barton barked. Logan landed in the closest one before his legs gave out. "Now, tell us where you were on Saturday, June 9, 1956?" he wasted no time in asking.

"We had a party at the beach house we rent, the night before, so I was tired and just hung out all day.."

"Did you ever leave the house?"

"I went down to the beach to relax in the afternoon."

"Did you drive anywhere?"

Logan hung his head. Lying would only complicate things. He nodded. "Where did you go, and what time?"

"Around two-thirty in the afternoon I went for a drive around town."

"What time did you get back?"

"I don't remember the exact time-"

"Give me an estimate, then!" Barton snapped.

"Somewhere around eight or so." The two officers exchanged satisfied looks and Logan sighed. He knew where this was headed.

x-x

Kendall left the beach and headed back to the house. They had plenty of shoreline by the beach house, but he chose to go farther out when he wanted to think. The seashells were abundant at the private stretch he frequented, and picking up a few along the way, always made him feel better. He never forgot to pick up a few for Logan too, and together they always placed them in the glass urn by the fireplace.

He carried the shells in the sling he'd made of his tee-shirt, and wondered why this time he didn't feel as cleansed as he usually did. All he could think about was the lost gig, Griffin, and Logan. Everything had gone from promising to uncertain in a blink of the eye. He headed up the steep hill to the beach house.

Depositing the shells on a side table to show to Logan, he made his way through the house and into the room they shared. He reached for the door of their wardrobe, and removed a nice polo shirt and black pants. He wanted to look nice when he saw Lana.

On his way to the diner he felt as if he were on some sort of mission. Admittedly, a mission to destroy the budding relationship between Lana and Logan. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't control the jealousy and anger he felt raging inside. He had revealed his innermost secrets to the others, yet they all were going about their lives as if he never had.

He wasn't being fair to the guys and he knew it, but frustrated, he turned up the radio loud enough to hurt and thumped his hand to the beat, on the side of his slick black paint. He whipped into an open parking space and turned off the engine. The gold bracelet swung violently on his rear-view mirror. He momentarily became mesmerized by it. It had belonged to his brother.

Kendall climbed out, catching a stray lock of sun-bleached hair blown by the coastal breeze, and tucked it behind his ear. He reached for the diner door, but he was beat to it by two women leaving.

"Oh, excuse me," Kendall apologized politely. He held the door open so they could exit.

"Thank you," one said. She looked familiar, and Kendall looked away, hoping she didn't recognize him. He was here to spy. She turned around briefly but went on.

He drew in a deep breath and walked inside, taking in the warm cozy atmosphere. Comfortable with what he saw, he relaxed a bit and searched for a waitress. He could have chosen a seat for himself at the counter, but he wanted to watch from a discreet location. There was the perfect empty booth in the corner that would provide an excellent view of the exits and the kitchen.

He impatiently scanned the tables but there was no sign of a waitress. He felt he was quickly becoming scrutinized as many of the diners began to study him. He knitted his eyebrows in frustration when a man eating alone looked up at him and never looked away.

"You haven't been here before, have you kid?" he asked.

"What?" Kendall said, looking put off.

"It's break-time."

"Meaning..." Kendall prodded.

"Meaning, there won't be a waitress for..." he paused to study his watch., "ten more minutes."

"Wonderful," Kendall mumbled.

"You're welcome to sit with me," he offered.

Kendall looked him over. He seemed okay, but Kendall wasn't in the mood for company. "Uh..." On the other hand, it might be less conspicuous if he weren't alone. "I guess just until the waitress returns."

The man smiled and quickly cleared the opposite side of the table. He set aside a notebook, a package of some sort, and a set of keys.

"Thanks," Kendall said, settling into the vacant chair.

"Curious about the food, or looking for someone in particular?" the man asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Pardon me?"

"Well, a young good-looking fellow like you comes in here alone, I figure he's either dyin' to try the special, or he's here for personal reasons."

Kendall laughed softly and reached for the 'specials' menu, of all things. "I'm that obvious, huh?"

The man nodded and spooned up more of his potatoes. "Well, Lana sure seems to bring in a few," he said, reaching for his coke.

Kendall coughed. "L-Lana?" he stammered nervously, plucking an imaginary piece of lint from his sleeve. A slow smile spread across the man's face. Kendall huffed inwardly. Where in the world was that waitress?

"Name's Gregory Hanes, but just Greg is fine," he said, extending a hand for Kendall to shake.

Kendall took it. "Nice to meet you, just Greg. I'm Kendall."

"I know," he said.

Kendall's eyes widened a bit. "You do?" He quickly sized the man up. Neatly parted and slicked hair, nice dark suit and tie, older than his crowd by a few years...

"Mmm-hmm. I'm a record producer."

Kendall didn't hide his surprise this time. "You are?"

"Yeah, and I know all the local talent. You've played a few times at Mike's place."

"Yes, we have," Kendall said cheerfully, the cheer slowly waning as he recalled the lost gig.

"The four of you have some real potential. Just need a little guidance, that's all."

Kendall stopped slouching and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "You think that's all it'll take to get us going, a little guidance?"

"Sure. You just need to work with someone who can take the ranges you boys carry, and blend them into a perfect balance of harmonies. You could be the next best thing. Oh, here's Shannon now."

Kendall looked up to see a smiling blonde in a waitress uniform, heading their way. "Hey there," she greeted. "Who's the handsome guest, Greg?"

"This is Kendall, one of the kids from the band BTR. Played at Mike's Place a few times?"

"Oh, right! Nice to meet you, Kendall," she said with a warm smile. "Another rising star."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Ooh, and polite, too." Kendall blushed. "You can just call me Shannon, though. Everybody does. Ma'am makes me feel so old." She tweaked her cropped hair playfully.

"Sorry ma-Shannon," Kendall corrected.

"Eh, it's all right. What can I get you, Kendall?"

"I'll take the special, of course," he said with a smirk.

"Good choice," both Greg and Shannon said together. They all laughed and she left with the menu. Kendall craned his neck to see into the kitchen when she went through the double-doors.

"So, how long have you had it bad for Miss Branson?"

"Oh, it's not me!" Kendall said quickly.

Greg tilted his head and studied Kendall quizzically. "Aren't you the one who hangs outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of her?"

"No-no, that would be Logan," he said without thinking.

"The dark-haired boy with the angelic voice?"

"That's the one. So you think we really have a chance?"

"How far are you boys willing to take this?"

"As far as we can."

Faster than he could have imagined, Shannon was back with his food. "I told Freddie to speed it up, so you could still eat together." She set the platter before him, along with a coke.

"Wow," Kendall said, staring at the mound of chicken, potatoes and green beans. "And a coke too?"

"That's the special. Well worth the dough," she said with a wink. "Anything else I can get you, doll?"

"No! No, I'm good!"

"Enjoy," she said walking away. Kendall was about to dig in, when he spotted a glint of chestnut curls across the diner. A melodic voice followed. He sat, fork poised mid-air, straining to get a better look. Greg chuckled.

"Boy, if you don't have a thing for that girl, you sure have an odd way of showing it."

"Actually, I just wanted to know what all the hype was about," Kendall admitted, cheeks slightly flushed with guilt. Their eyes met, and a look of understanding passed between them.

Kendall squirmed. Could this guy read him that easily? "Ah," he said, making Kendall certain that he could. "I could help quell your curiosity, since we all know each other here. I'll introduce the two of you."

Kendall practically threw his fork. "No! That won't be necessary."

"Nonsense," he said, rising from his seat and gesturing to her.

Kendall wanted to bolt from the diner, but he knew that the man would think he was crazy, and he didn't care to burn any more bridges. Instead, he sunk in his chair and suddenly, the food was unappetizing, so he pushed it away. Greg signaled to Lana to come, and she made her way over.

"Lana, I'd like you to meet Kendall-"

"Knight," she finished. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," he said, taking her hand. He was struck by her natural beauty, and drawn in by the smile in her blue-green eyes.

"Oh, you don't have to be formal here. We just all yell, 'hey!'" she said with a giggle. She glanced out the window. "Where's Logan?"

"Um…home." He wondered how he would ever explain why he was there alone.

"He's okay though, right?" she asked with concern.

"Oh, yeah! He was just tired after…last night and all…." He was unable to come up with anything that made sense. He really should have thought it all out better.

"Okay," she said cheerfully. "At long as he's okay."

She really did have a special appeal. She was different from any of the girls that Logan ever had follow him home. There was a certain poise and sincerity that gave her star quality. Kendall's heart sank. No wonder Logan was smitten.

"Well, I really have to get back. We're setting up for dinner already. Nice to finally meet you, Kendall Knight. Tell Logan to behave," she said with a dazzling smile.

"I-I will. I definitely will," he said. He watched her leave, a slight but appealing sway to her hips.

"So?" Greg asked when she was no longer in view.

"She seems like a very nice girl," Kendall said quietly.

"Doesn't get your teenaged hormones rocketing?" he laughed. Kendall shrugged and poked at his chicken. "Well, I gotta' go, but here's my card. Give me a call and I'll see what I can do for BTR."

"Thanks!" Kendall said gratefully. "I will!"

Greg fished the business card from his wallet, and handed it to Kendall. He in turn, tucked it into his own wallet.

x-x

Carlos left from a short shift at the garage. It was beginning to worry him, the way Don always seemed to have his nephew hanging around more and more. He couldn't help but wonder if he was easing him out, and his nephew in. The shorter shifts and the way Don acted around him since the visit from the cops, wasn't subtle.

Carlos couldn't afford to lose his job. They needed his share to pay the bills. "Stupid dirty cops," he muttered under his breath as he pulled up the drive. He decided to pull into the garage this time, nervous since the object of harassment, and see if Logan's car was there. He was beginning to dread going into an empty house.

It wasn't. "Damn." He scanned the area cautiously, and headed in. As soon as he was inside he locked the door. He hated feeling like this. All his life he felt secure. He had a police officer for a Dad, he lived in a decent neighborhood, and he was an optimistic type of fellow. Now, he was looking over his shoulder constantly. He could imagine how Logan felt.

He spotted the note on the fridge. So, Logan had gone in. Carlos shook his head. He hoped they were treating him better than they had treated him the night of the cycle incident. Since he was at the fridge anyway, he opened it up and took out the dishes left pulled to the front. A smile spread across his face when he saw that Kendall had purposely supplied him with leftovers. He could be such a mom sometimes.

The phone ringing jolted him from his thoughts. He smeared some butter on to a piece of bread while he answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, son."

"Papi! Everything okay?" He'd been wondering how his mom had taken the news of his papi's new job description.

"Fine son, but this call isn't about me, it's about you and the guys."

"I'm listenin'" Carlos said, slathering butter on a second slice.

"Looks like those two officers you spoke of haven't been employed here long. They originally lived in Arkansas and they were on a force there. They were transferred here as a favor, if you ask me. Seems like they may have had some troubles back home. I don't trust them, Carlos. I want you boys to hang low, and watch your backs. Don't go anywhere you don't have to, and stick together, try to go out in pairs at least. There's more to their story, and I don't like it one bit."

There was silence on the other end. "Hear me. Son?"

"Yeah, Papi…it's just…Logan's at the station right now. He got a letter demanding he show. I don't know how long he's been gone."

"Shit! Okay, son. I'm going to stick my nose where they'll say it doesn't belong. I was going to pay the kid a visit today too. I got caught up in some paperwork though. Never figured they'd have him in before I got a chance to talk to him."

"Papi? Your scaring me. Are they going to hurt Logan?"

"Not if I have any say. I just need to get to the right people. I'll get on the horn as soon as I know, son. Until then, you kids stay put. Get everyone home and inside. Lock your doors and wait for my call."

"Okay, Papi. We will."

James came home, looking cheerful. "Hey!" he greeted noisily, jiggling his keys in the door lock.

"Hey, what's shakin'?" Carlos asked through a mouthful of tuna casserole.

"You're looking at the next big thing," James said smugly.

"I always knew that," Carlos said with a laugh. "You never let me forget it."

"Right, but I've been hired on as a regular model for Intuition Modeling Agency!"

"Congrats, man!" Carlos exclaimed enthusiastically. He raced to throw his arms around the taller brunet, almost succeeding in knocking him over.

"Easy! I'm valuable now you ape!"

"Sorry, I'm just happy as a clam that one of is okay," Carlos said.

"More troubles?" James asked warily.

"Just more of the same. Logan left a note saying he was headed to the station to talk to those dirty cops. Just worried and all." James nodded. Even though he was still angry with Logan over the trouble he caused, he didn't want him hurt either.

"That's not good," he said with genuine concern.

"My papi said to stay home until he knows what's going on with the heat. Where's Kendall?"

x-x

"Look you little punk, I'm gonna' ask you one more time, did you or did you not see some guys in a black car that night?" Zimmer slammed his hand down on the desk top, making it rattle.

Logan swallowed nervously and looked up at the sneering man. He bit his lip when the steely eyes bored through his. "I-I may have seen a black car. I see a lot of black cars. My roommate has a black car."

"Listen smartass, you can bend and shape this anyway you want. The way I see it your little ass is gonna' wind up in jail, eventually. Should have played your kid-games before you turned the golden age of eighteen. You're legally an adult now. No Juvi-hall for you. It's the big house, now!" Barton boomed.

He smiled when he saw the look on the boy's face. He was scared all right, and he would probably break with just a little more nudging. He looked at Zimmer, indicating it was his turn to have a crack at him.

"You raced those kids, didn't you?" Zimmer asked, leaning over Logan's shoulder, his breath hot on his neck. Logan's eyes welled up, and he shook his head. "Are you telling me that you didn't race that night?" His face and neck were on fire, and he knew that it showed.

"I-I should have a lawyer at least, r-right?" Logan asked. He fought back the tears of fear and guilt. He wasn't about to break, and give the two the satisfaction of reducing him to tears.

They laughed. "You say you wanna' a lawyer? Must be worried about somethin', eh kid?" Burton said.

"It's my right!" Logan shouted, angry now. "You're forcing me to admit to things that didn't happen the way you say!"

"Pipe down, punk! You'll get a phone call. You can ask one of those other punks to get you a lawyer, or better yet mommy and daddy," Zimmer said with a snicker.

Logan hung his head. His dad would have a field day with this one. He always said that Logan was smart but didn't use common sense, and that hurt him. Talk about playing right into his hands. "Who you gonna' call boy, your friends or your parents?"

"Are you saying that I have to make a choice, right now?" Logan asked, his pulse racing, and blood rushing through his ears.

The two men stood before him, looking pleased with themselves. "Let me spell this out for you, genius. It means that we can now place you out the night of the crime, without an alibi. We have just cause to hold you for further questioning. We can contain you until a hotshot lawyer tell us otherwise." Logan felt like a common thug, something he never dreamed he could call himself.

A large man with a hanging belly walked up and leaned on the filing cabinet. He stared at the teenager. "Ned," Barton said, "get this boy a set of stripes, extra-small. You're spendin' the night in the can, kid."

Logan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You have the right to remain silent…." The rest of the words all blurred together. He was under arrest, that's all he knew.

The heavy-set man returned with the standard black and white striped uniform over his arm, and reached over to take his trembling arm. He lifted him from the chair and propelled him forward. He wanted so badly to keep his promise to himself to keep his composure, but seeing the outfit they planned on placing him in was just too much. He choked back a sob, but the tears fell regardless.

The next thing he knew, he was walking down a long cold hallway with nothing but concrete walls. It was hard to make out much through the blur of tears, but he knew that he was led into a small room. "Here, kid. This is where you leave your clothes," the man said gently. Logan began to sob.

A big meaty hand petted his head. "There, there kid. It ain't so bad. You just gotta' get through the hard part, okay?" Logan nodded and mopped at his eyes, as he slowly peeled off his things.

x-x

**Logan is in trouble now, and so are all the guys for that matter. Kendall met Lana! What do think he's thinking? **

**Please review so I can feel better about this story and go work on Missing In Motion! ;)**


	13. Jailhouse Rock

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! bubzchoc, LazyLazyWriter, winterschild11, Sassyascanbe14, Mrs. Wolfe-Sanders, Happy Daze Chick, xxRikkexx1 and guests!**

**If you find errors in this chapter, I apologize. I'm having some weird problem with the text and it was dropping parts of my dialogue. O.o**

**13. Jailhouse Rock**

"Well, well, look at you," Zimmer said with a smirk. He let his eyes travel over the black and white striped uniform that Logan wore. "的It suits you, brat-boy."

Logan's dark brown eyes flashed. He'd been sitting alone in the cell for a half-hour looking at concrete walls, cement floor, and bars. In that short time he'd thought about his rights. He didn't know much about the making of laws or the breaking of laws for that matter, but he knew enough to know that he should have had a chance to make that one phone call by now. He also had time to think about who would be on the receiving end of that call.

"Don't give me that look, kid," Barton said mockingly. 添"You can make that call we promised, soon enough. We can't release you without someone posting bail though." Logan's face fell. He hadn't even considered that. Who could post it?

"How much?" he asked quietly.

Both men grinned. "Five thousand Washingtons," Zimmer said with a smirk.

"_What?" _Logan asked with a gasp.

"That's right, kid. Think ya' might be stayin' the night after all?" Barton asked smugly.

"What the hell! How am I supposed to come up with that kind of money, and so fast!" Logan asked angrily.

"Listen, you did the crime now you can do the time. Should of thought of that before you put the pedal to the metal, and chose to illegally race. You killed that kid," Barton said.

"That's a damn lie! I never meant to hurt anybody! You're just wanting me to take the rap for the whole thing!"

Barton sauntered over to where Logan was now retreating. "L鏑isten, you smart-ass...," he hissed, 的"I don't like your attitude, but I can fix that if I have to, brat-boy."

He really likes that nick-name, Logan thought with disgust. He was pressed back against the hard cold wall with no where to go. He just stared at the man looming in his face. Barton gave him a hard shove. Logan looked down at the arm he'd just pushed, and smirked back.

"Are you allowed to physically harass me, even though I haven't been found guilty?" Logan asked bravely.

Barton just smiled. "No, _I'm_ not," he said a little too cheerfully.

The two men left the cell, and it closed with a reverberating clank."H滴ang tight, little boy. You can make that phone call in about a half-hour."

"Why not, now?" Logan asked, getting no response from the backs of the two men as they disappeared down the hall.

x-x

Kendall left the diner and headed for his car. The sunlight glistened off his brother's bracelet hanging on the rear-view mirror, and drew his eyes to where the beam of light landed. It landed on a black and white parked down the road.

His instincts told him that it was there for either Logan or himself. He walked briskly to his black car and climbed in. Properly adjusting his mirrors in case the fuzz was watching, he planned to be the role-model for a perfect driver. However, under the dash he secretly worked his middle finger out of his fist with enthusiasm, smiling to himself.

As he pulled out, he saw a flurry of movement inside the car from his peripheral vision. Those bastards were definitely going to follow him. He wasn't about to give them a reason to pull him over, so he watched for every road sign. He hoped Logan was home staying in like he'd advised. A gnawing in his gut told him otherwise.

He'd planned on mulling over his first impressions of Lana during the drive home, but now with the heat behind him all he could think about was them on his tail. They weren't even trying to be sneaky now. He figured they were trying to rile him so he'd do something stupid. He fought to keep his temper in check. He couldn't let them get the best of him. Especially since Logan had managed to pull them into such a mess.

He neared the road that led to the beach house, proud that he never wavered behind the wheel, and put his turn signal on. The officers chose that moment to put their red, white and blues on too.

"Son of a bitch!" Kendall mumbled under his breath.

They'd really had some fun at his expense, letting him get as far as the drive before stopping him. He watched the two men from his side-view mirror. They were taking their sweet time getting out of the vehicle. One of the men held a radio to his mouth.

"Jimmy? Barton here. The kid can make his one call now. I got Kendall Knight pulled over," he said with a satisfied chuckle.

Kendall watched the men slowly climb from the squad car. They didn't look like very nice guys, judging from first appearances. Then it dawned on him. It was the two jerks who'd been at the house with their shit-load of threats.

The dark-haired one rested folded forearms on the edge of the window frame, and leaned in." 滴Hi, there," he said cockily.

"Hey," Kendall said solemnly. "J笛ust stop me to chat?"

The officer laughed. "W展hoo! We got ourselves a real joker here, don't we!"

"Were you in a hurry to get home, kid?" the other one with the blond hair asked.

"No...why would you ask that?" Kendall said warily.

"'Cause you barreled through that last stop-sign back there," he said seriously.

"I did not!" Kendall cried.

"I say ya' did. And, my partner here is a witness to it too. So, ya' did."

"So this is how you guys work!" Kendall said, clenching his jaw. "Is this how you pulled Carlos over, too? Oh no, that's right...you drove him into a ditch!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew they shouldn't have. The men exchanged looks. The other kid had talked, even though they warned him not to.

"Well Kenny, you really have a smart-ass mouth, don't you? Mister tough-guy, eh? Let's see how tough you are in the slammer. Your boyfriend is still there waiting for you anyway."

"What?" Kendall asked, clearly shocked. "He's there now?'

"That's right, the little brunet is already familiarizing himself with the joint. You know the one we mean. The one who causes you so much grief. The one you spy on all the time. The one you seem to have the hots for?" Barton said with a sleazy smile. Kendall glared. My god, they already had Logan and he was hanging out at the diner spying on Lana.

"You've obviously never had a _real_ friend in your entire life," Kendall said with an arrogant sideways smile.

"Is that what the kids call them now-a-days? _Real_ friends," Zimmer said with a sharp laugh. "W展e always just called 'em fagots, where we came from."

"Yeah, and where would that be?" Kendall dared to ask.

"None of your god-damn business, punk. Now get your ass outta' that car, and spread em'!" Barton roared.

"Whose the fagot here now," Kendall mumbled, as he reluctantly climbed out.

"What did you say, smart-ass?" Barton asked, slamming him down over the hood of his own car. The man kicked his feet wide apart, and began to run his hands thoroughly up and down his body.

Kendall lifted his head and Zimmer banged his head back down, hitting the metal with a loud thud, making him wince. He couldn't help but think of when he'd recently had Logan face-down over the hood of the same car. He felt a pang of guilt.

The officer finally pulled away and Kendall slowly stood, forcing one hand deep into his front pocket. The men stared. 溺"That was a real kick. Mind if I smoke a cigarette, after that um...bit of fun?" Kendall asked sarcastically.

"Go ahead, wise-ass," Zimmer said.

Kendall pulled the Lucky Strikes out of his front tee-shirt pocket, and removed the pack of matches from the pack's cellophane. 鉄"See, this is all I had on me the whole time," Kendall continued, seeking comfort in the sound of his own voice.

The men watched the teen cup the cigarette away from the breeze and light the end. He blew a puff of smoke from the side of his mouth and grinned, revealing deep dimples.

"So?" he said as he took another puff.

"So finish that weed up, park your car in your drive, and get your ass into the back seat of our car. You're going to jail," Barton said with a low growl.

"What? Why?" Kendall asked, surprised it was actually leading to that.

"Because first of all you blew through a stop-sign, then you refused to stop when we pursued you with our lights on. Once we forcibly stopped you, you resisted arrest."

"Boy, you guys got this all figured out don't you?" Kendall said. 滴"How did you manage to screw with Logan, to get to keep him in jail today?" Kendall asked with a glower.

"Didn't have to. He hung himself. Admitted he was out the night the kid was killed. Even went as far as to place himself at the scene of the crime."

Kendall's stomach flipped. 滴"He would never intentionally break the law," Kendall said, fighting to control his attitude.

"There are people who _unintentionally_ kill people all the time. Doesn't make it any easier for the family of a victim. Let's get goin'. Your boyfriend's probably been given a whippin' by now."

"_Wh-What?" _Kendall asked breathlessly.

x-x

"Who you calling, son?" the man at the counter asked. Logan eyed him with apprehension. "I've just got to document it here," he explained, pointing to a clip-board.

"My roommate," Logan said.

"Handle?"

"Kendall Knight."

"Okay...Kendall Knight," he repeated slowly while he wrote. "Does that look right?" the man asked, turning the clip-board so he could see what he'd written.

"Yeah," Logan said.

"Then sign here." Logan signed where he indicated.

"Here's the horn. Go ahead, son." He handed him the phone.

Logan dialed his house. The phone rang three times without an answer. "C鼎ome on, come on...," he murmured, "Please pick up the phone, Kendall. Come on, baby."

He was praying Kendall would pick up. At least everyone would know where he was in case something happened to him while he was there, and he really needed to just hear his voice...

x-x

"Carlos!" James called. "I的 think the phone's ringing, but I'm in the shower!"

Assuming he'd picked it up when the phone stopped ringing, James lathered up his hair and didn't give it a second thought. Carlos was actually in the garage looking over his prized motorcycle. Disappointed after six more rings, Logan gave in and hung up the phone.

"No answer, kid?" the man asked. Logan nodded, tears springing to his eyes. "Tough break, but don't worry son. You can try again later."

x-x

"Sorry, I've neglected you a bit lately, girl," Carlos said affectionately as he ran a hand over the last dent left to fix since the accident. "Got those idiot cops all over me now, but when this all blows over...it'll be Lita and Los again," he said with a grin.

He bent down to search the garage cabinets for the wax and a rag, deciding to turn on the radio as he worked. He might as well be doing something productive while James was in the shower. No one spent as long in there as he did, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

Outside, Kendall was pulling his car up the driveway. Unfortunately, Carlos never heard the crunch of the tires with the music turned up loud, and Elvis' crooning of _Jailhouse Rock _filling the space. Kendall glanced at the house longingly, just wanting to be inside unwinding and not headed to the jail to be manhandled some more.

"Can I at least see if my other buddies are home, so they don't worry about me?" Kendall asked hopefully.

Zimmer shook his head. 哲 "Nope. We were generous enough in not impounding your ride."

Kendall glared, but climbed in the back seat obediently. "W展hat, no cuffs or leg irons?" he asked. Barton threw him a warning look before backing down the long drive.

Carlos stood up and looked around. He'd thought he'd heard something outside. He looked out the side-door but no one was there. He must be getting really paranoid, he thought to himself with a shake of his head.

James turned off the shower and dried himself off. He threw the damp towel around his waist, tucked it in to keep it in place, and headed to the bedroom he shared with Carlos.

"I'm out now!" he called, assuming Carlos would need to get in next. There was no response. Where was that boy? "Carlos!" he called louder.

He looked out the window and saw the garage door ajar. He smiled. That boy couldn't seem to stay away from that cycle for long. He felt around in the drawer for his favorite boxers. He just washed them...where were they?

Carlos grinned when he saw James bent over the dresser clad only in a towel. He tip-toed up behind him and yanked the towel away, exposing James' well-toned, bare back-side.

James shrieked and grabbed the decorative scarf from the top of the dresser to cover himself, toppling over his cologne bottles and a picture frame in the process. Carlos roared with laughter and held his side.

"Carlos!" James yelled, his face a deep shade of pink. 的"I-I thought your were an intruder or something! Don't ever do that to me again! I could have gone all ape on you, and-and really, really hurt you-or killed you even!" he rambled, yanking on the first pair of boxers he could reach.

Carlos was still laughing. "O徹h, really? 'Cause it looked a little to me like you would just scream like a girl and put a dresser scarf in front of your privates if an intruder came for some!" Carlos said with another squeal of laughter.

James huffed indignantly, and turned around to find a tee-shirt. "S鉄hut-up, I hate you right now," he said.

Carlos gave him a hard whack on the bum making James jerk upright with a tiny involuntary yelp."You do have a really nice caboose, though!" Carlos added.

"Carlos, dammit!" James said, trying not to smile now."Hey, you did answer that phone call earlier, didn't you? Or were you too busy making out with Lita again?" he taunted.

"I didn't get the phone," Carlos admitted. 的"I wonder if it was Papi."

James shrugged. 的"I don't know because I was in the shower. I thought you got it." He tugged on the tee-shirt and a loose pair of faded jeans.

x-x

"No one home, kid?" the heavy-set man asked when he saw the boy back looking sad. Logan shook his head."Y添ou can try again later, ain't that right?" he said to the man behind the counter, leading him away from the phone.

"That's right," the old man called back.

Logan returned to his cell wondering where the guys could be. They should have been home by now, he thought, looking at the big round wall-clock just outside his cell. It was rare that at least one of them wasn't home.

The warden locked his door with a jingle of keys, and walked away. Logan stared at the ground feeling completely deflated. He didn't know where this would all go. The two cops were obviously out to get him, and it wasn't possible to change the circumstances of what went down the night of the race as he yearned to do.

His thoughts quickly wandered to Lana. Sweet beautiful Lana. How was he going to get to ever speak to her again? He was so close to getting together with her after all these months...

Suddenly, a shadow fell across the floor where he was looking, and he slowly raised his eyes to discover the source. A man he had never seen before, wearing a dark gray uniform, stood just on the other side of the bars. Logan watched the man turn the lock and slide the door open.

"Am I able to go, now?" Logan asked, not believing for one second that he was. The man shook his head."I的s it time to make my phone call again," he tried.

The man still shook his head, almost looking sympathetic toward the boy. He wished the kid would stop guessing. It was only making matters worse and his job more difficult. He looked the cute teen over. He looked like a nice clean-cut kid who quite possibly was being targeted by the likes of officers Barton and Zimmer for some reason. It wouldn't be the first time, but he still had to do his job. Logan felt butterflies flutter about in his stomach as the man approached the bench where he sat.

鼎"Come with me," he said, nodding toward the opened door.

"Where t-to?' Logan stammered. "Who are you?"

"I'm the disciplinarian here," the man said.

"But...what did I do?" Logan asked in a shaky voice.

"I don't ask questions. I just do my job," the man said. He led him by the arm down the corridor to a closed door. He opened it and pushed him in, spinning him to face the wall.

Logan stumbled, his clammy bare feet sticking to the cement floor beneath him. He watched with wide eyes as the man closed the door, and took a rubber hose down from a hook on the wall.

"Turn around, face the wall, and grab those handles," the man ordered in a monotone.

"But why? I haven't even done anything," Logan said.

"I told you kid, I don't get that kind of information." He wished the boy would quit looking at him with those big innocent doe eyes. He focused on the wall until the kid finally turned back around.

Logan faced the dreary beige wall, and placed shaky hands on the cold steel handles. He closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. It brought back memories of the last time he'd had his butt beat. That was by Kendall, but at least that was out of love and concern for him. This was just plain barbarism.

"Brace yourself, kid," he said, 鍍"This is gonna' hurt really bad."

The whoosh of the rubber tubing sliced through the air, and landed against his backside with a resounding crack. It felt like it had split the delicate skin where the trail of fire blazed. Logan screamed and swayed, the wiggly spots behind his eyelids refusing to fade away.

"Five more, kid," the man announced.

Logan moaned. If the first one hurt that bad, how in the hell was he going to get through five more? He turned around with pleading eyes only to see the hose raised high again. He cringed.

x-x

Officer Garcia made his way down the highway on his police-issued cycle. He would head back to the station and drop it off, then head out to the boys once he was legitimately off-duty. He felt an urgency to get to them since he'd learned who the men were. Something just didn't add up when it came to those two.

He'd stayed up late the night before trying to piece all the facts together. There had been a lot of effort put into keeping the officers' personal information out of their files. If he didn't know better, those two had more to hide than the criminals they arrested.

"On your way home, already?" Phil, a fellow officer asked, smiling from where he was perched on his own cycle.

"Yeah, I'm off to see my boy," he said.

"Take care," Phil said with a wave.

Antonio waved back, then sighed deeply. He wished that he could tell a nice guy like Phil what was going on, but he couldn't risk it. At least not yet. He needed to do some digging around on his own before he brought outsiders into the mix.

He turned in his keys at the counter, and headed to his car. He had just phoned his wife and told her that he was working over-time. Yes, he had just lied to the woman he loved with all his heart and it didn't feel good, but the less she knew right now, the better. He left the lot doing his best to convince himself that it was the right thing to do.

He would pick up a quick burger on the way out of town, and go directly to the beach house. Logan had unintentionally gotten himself as well as the others, into a world of trouble. He wanted to shake that kid something fierce, but in his heart he knew that Logan was a good kid. Any of the boys could have made a similar mistake. Heck, they were young, and times had changed since he was a kid. Now, it was all about rock and roll, fast cars, and equally fast girls, if you asked him. It was just a big smorgasbord of trouble waiting to happen.

He had to protect the boys above all else, and he believed time was of the essence with those fellow officers seeking out Logan. He switched on the radio and waited for the five-o'-clock newscast to begin as he drove.

x-x

The squad car pulled up in front of the station, and the men escorted Kendall from the backseat. They took him up the steps of the same gray stone building Logan came to earlier that morning. He was left free of cuffs, and they were just hoping the boy would try something stupid. He didn't. He followed along without incident until they reached the same exact place Logan had stopped at the desk.

Kendall looked around with a growing uneasiness. The woman with the tight bun looked up from her crossword puzzle as if they were bothering her on her private time.

"Marcy, we got another punk ankle-biter for ya'," Barton said, shoving Kendall forward.

Kendall shook his head. 摘"Empty your pockets," she said with a sigh.

Kendall removed his billfold and keys, and laid them down on the counter. Zimmer reached around Kendall's chest to where he'd seen him place the cigarette pack earlier, and tossed them to the counter.

"No smokes in the can, kid," he said triumphantly.

"Shit," Kendall grumbled under his breath.

"Matches or a lighter to go with these?" the woman demanded to know. Kendall sighed again, and pulled out the pack of matches. He threw them down on top of the cigarettes.

The woman placed the items in a large plastic bag, then ran the wand up and down his body. She nodded her approval and the men pushed him along.

"See ya' later Marcy," Barton said over his shoulder. She nodded with a scowl, and went back to her crossword.

He had been through the same search in much the same manner as Logan had. Next, the officers escorted him into the same office where Logan had been finger-printed and photographed. A man in a gray uniform waited at the cabinets.

"Hey, Jesse, d泥id you fulfill your duty?" he asked, with crinkles forming at the corners of his eyes.

The man nodded. 添"Yep, and I'm heading out fellas," he said blandly.

"See ya' later alligator," Zimmer said

"After awhile crocodile," the man retorted.

Zimmer chuckled and turned to look at Barton. The other man was already grinning. "Y添ou'll get to know Jesse much better tomorrow, kid," he said with a mysterious look on his face.

Kendall shrugged."Whatever," he said. 鉄"So, where's Logan?"

"In a big hurry to see him, already?" Barton asked. 典"Well ain't that a bite, but you gotta' get your picture taken first."

Another man behind a camera waited until Kendall was placed in front of the white wall. "L鏑ook straight ahead," he instructed. Kendall rolled his eyes as the camera flashed. 鏑"Let's try that again," the man said. "Face forward."

Kendall would look a bit cocky in that photo too, but it was apparently going to remain a keeper. 典"Turn to your right," the man said. Kendall couldn't help but think of how hard this had to have been for Logan. He who always got good grades, abided by the rules, wanted to be a doctor... a pillar of society, going through all this like some common criminal.

Next was the fingerprinting, and the man pressed and rolled each finger onto the paper making Kendall feel ridiculous. He looked up to see another man waiting there with a black and white striped uniform. Kendall blinked. This was really happening.

The heavyset man led him down the same hall Logan had been led down, and into the same small room. The only difference this time around was that Barton and Zimmer remained there to watch. They leaned up against the wall, chewing loudly on wads of gum.

"Strip and put these on," the man said. Kendall couldn't help but blush. He looked over at the two observers.

"Are you supposed to watch?" he asked flippantly.

"We can do whatever we damn well please," Barton said, without any hint of humour.

Kendall removed his jacket, then reached for the hem of his white tee. His fingers ghosted there as he returned his gaze back at the two men. He looked away and quickly pulled it over his head. He undid the fly of his dark denims and again looked to the two men. Barton whispered something in the man's ear and he nodded.

He tugged the jeans down and stepped out of them, leaving him in nothing but socks and boxers."The socks have to come off too," the man said. Kendall removed them and handed them over. "S鉄lip the boxers off and put these on," the man said.

Kendall rushed to slide the boxers off and pull on the striped pants. Zimmer whistled, and Kendall looked up to find their eyes focused on his naked crotch.

"Crazy, you must make your boyfriend howl!" Barton said with a snort. Zimmer joined in on the laughter as he swatted at the other man's arm.

"Piss off!" Kendall threw back.

The laughter ceased. "W展hat did you say to me, sassy-ass?" Zimmer hissed.

Kendall backed away from the approaching men. They grabbed him by the wrists and dragged him from the room, shirtless.

"Here!" the man called, tossing the matching striped shirt into Zimmer's waiting hand.

"I was gonna' wait and let you get acquainted with the place first, but now it'll be a quick conjugal visit with your flutter bum, then off to the workroom for a lesson," he said in his ear. "W展anna' know why we call it the workroom?"

Kendall didn't respond at first, he was too busy wishing he'd kept his mouth shut. Barton shook his arm. "W展ell, sassy-ass?"

"No, but let me guess, it's where we're taken to...work," he said sarcastically.

"Wrong! It's where we work you over, sassy-ass!" Obviously the new nick-name was going to stick.

They stopped at a cell and slid the door open. Inside the gloomy cell, Kendall could make out the shape of a figure huddled on the lower bunk bed. He squinted.

"Your boyfriend's here to kiss it and make it all better," Zimmer called to the shapeless form in the shadows.

The person slowly untangled itself from the thin blanket, revealing the same striped uniform he wore. Kendall could make out the face now, and it was clearly Logan. His face was wet with tears and his eyes were red and puffy. He was trembling uncontrollably. Kendall slowly advanced toward him.

"Logan?"he said softly.

Logan was shocked to see Kendall standing there. His first hope was that he had come to post bail, but he had never even managed to make the call. How could he even know that he needed bail? Worse yet, he was wearing the same striped jail uniform, and that could only mean one thing...

Logan tucked his knees up to his chest, and buried his face away from the two leering officers. Kendall sat down gingerly beside him on the bed, afraid to touch him for fear he was too badly hurt to touch. He reached for a clenched hand instead, and curled his own long fingers around it.

"Well, ain't that nice," Barton mocked. "W展e'll leave you two alone to talk...or whatever you wanna' do, but we'll be back to take sassy-ass for a little walk."

With that, the door banged shut, echoing throughout the building. Logan leaned into Kendall's chest, and let him stroke his hair while he sobbed. Damn it, Logan thought. He'd promised himself he wouldn't do this, but the searing pain and Kendall's comforting touch, compiled with the guilt he was feeling, overwhelmed him. Little did he know that he would be returning the favor later that evening.

**There you have...the boys are in jail and poor James and Carlos are still clueless.**

** Review please? The nest update will actually be next year, if you don't! Okay, so it will be anyway...**


	14. Fast Times

**Hey, it's been a while since I updated this and I just had to. I probably won't very often since it doesn't seem to get as much interest as Missing In Motion, but I will tread on, I promise! Especially since I have a special attachment to this one. ;)**

**Thanks go out to: xxRikkexx1, Mrs, Wolfe-Sanders, winterschild11, Sassyascanbe14, LazyLazyWriter, bubzchoc, and inspire-the-writer-x3! Thank you for reviewing. **

**14. Fast Times**

Kendall's bare chest was warm and comforting beneath Logan's cheek, and he hadn't realized just how badly he'd longed for someone to hold him when he was hurting, even at his age. If he couldn't have Lana, Kendall was the next best person for the job.

He reluctantly pulled back to look into Kendall's longing eyes. He a least owed him an explanation for why he was so upset. He was about to tell him what had happened in that 'workroom', when Kendall reached up a hand and gently stroked his disheveled dark hair. Logan collapsed back against his chest. He had managed to compose himself enough to stop the tears, but the steady beating of Kendall's heart just sounded too good to separate himself from.

Logan finally released a sigh of despair and Kendall shuddered when the hot breath rolled across his exposed skin. Logan stiffened and struggled to sit up, searching the depths of his friend's piercing green eyes for answers. Kendall looked away and returned the sigh.

"Here...you must be cold," Logan said, suddenly looking a bit uncomfortable. He handed him the striped prison shirt that had been tossed beside them on the cot. Kendall nodded and pulled it over his head, adjusting it over his torso as Logan watched.

"What did they do to you, Logan?" Kendall asked quietly.

Logan studied his hands. "They beat me with a rubber hose, just like in the prison movies. Imagine that. Like an animal that's gone out and-and-" His voice was climbing higher.

"Shhh," Kendall soothed, wrapping his arms back around him. He rubbed his back gently, but inside his blood was boiling. How could they get away with that kind of mistreatment. It wasn't the middle ages for Christ's sake. "I'm so sorry, Logan. That must have hurt like hell."

He cupped Logan's chin and forced him to make eye-contact with him "It did. I can't believe I'm not bleeding all over the place...but that's the funny thing, you know. The rubber hose doesn't split the skin, so that's why they use it."

Kendall couldn't help but smile. "That's what I love about you. You always have all the facts down."

Logan smiled back, but only faintly. He was still too sore. "I'm happy to see you, but why are you in here too?"

"Well, it looks like our friendly neighborhood policemen had it all planned out. Set me up on false charges of running a stop sign, harassing the cops, then resisting arrest."

"Holy shit! They can't do that!" Logan cried.

"Well, they did."

"But, they want me. Why are they bringing you guys into this?"

"They want all of us now. I would be very surprised if Carlos didn't wind up in here next," Kendall said bitterly.

"You boys dressed in there?" a mocking voice called from down the way.

They could hear the heavy footsteps reverberating as they neared the cell. Kendall rolled his eyes as Barton stopped just outside. He undid the lock and slid the door open with a taunting smile. "Here to pick up sassy-ass," he sang.

Logan reflexively curled into himself, recalling the beating with the hose. Kendall stood up and glared at the officer. "I know what you plan to do, and you better keep us in here forever because we're gonna' tell everyone how you treated us!"

The smile faded from the officer's face, and he matched the glare the boy gave him as he grabbed a handful of the uniform shirt. "You little punk! I have witnesses that you two got out of hand in here!"

He stepped back and lifted the leg of his trousers to reveal a deep bruise. "What the hell?" Kendall said.

"You kicked me you little shit! And this one here..." he pulled open his jacket to show the gouges on his bicep. Logan's eyes went wide and he bit his lip in fear.

"One of your whore's probably gave those marks to you!" Kendall cried. "Or was it some other guy whose life you fucked up!"

Barton yanked Kendall out by his arm, dragging his feet the entire way. "No! Kendall!" Logan called through the bars. "Somebody help us!"

Kendall was gone, but the large man with the gentle disposition reappeared. "Hey kid, settle down," he said kindly, unlocking the door. Logan noted that he too had a billy-club at his hip, but he wasn't worried that he'd use it. "Ready to try and make that phone call again?"

That was the first time Logan realized that the person he'd tried to make that phone call to first, was already there headed to the 'workroom'.

x-x

Antonio Garcia arrived at the beach house. Observant as he was, he immediately wondered why Kendall's car was parked where it was. It wasn't in its usual spot along the drive. Was it a sign of something?

He took a peek in the garage to see if Carlos was inside. He wasn't, but his cycle was. Logan's car was not there, however. An increasingly uneasy feeling was gnawing away at him. Surely the boy should be back from police headquarters by now.

He softly knocked on the kitchen door. "It's me! Papi!" he called, not wanting to startle them.

Carlos immediately opened the door with James right behind him. Carlos threw his arms around his dad. "Papi! Logan never came home, and Kendall's still out!"

Antonio gave his son a final pat on the back. "But his car is parked outside," he said.

"What!" the boys cried in unison.

"How can that be?" asked James.

"That must be what I heard when I was with Lita!" Carlos thought aloud,

Antonio's jaw clenched. "Boys, I'm going to head out and do some digging around for the boys. You two stay put and don't open the door for anyone but Logan, Kendall or myself, hear?"

They nodded and James looked terrified. "I'm scared here," he admitted.

Antonio reached over and gave him a reassuring pat on the back too. "I don't think they'll mess with the two of you tonight. I think they already have a couple of victims to amuse themselves with."

"Logan and Kendall?" Carlos asked in a small frightened voice. His dad nodded.

"'Fraid so, but I'm heading to the station now. I'll take care of things." He exited the kitchen, closing the door tightly behind him. "Lock it boys!"

James locked the knob and slid the chain into the bolt. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

Antonio sped down the driveway and headed toward the station. If the boys hadn't made the phone calls the law allowed for, he was going to nail them good. What charges were they holding them for anyway, he wondered. Maybe Kendall was elsewhere...but Logan should have been released right after questioning.

Why did that boy race that night, damn it, he thought. What were the odds that a kid would actually be killed in the street race in the first place? Kids raced all the time, and survived to boast about it. Some lousy luck that Logan would remember it as a simple challenge, yet...

Antonio's pulse quickened. Thoughts were racing through his head a mile a minute. He mulled over all that he'd learned about the two who'd transferred from Arkansas, or who were driven out most likely. What if there was more to the story. Those men were hiding something, and he had a feeling his boys were being used as pawns to save their asses from further trouble.

x-x

"Lana!"

She turned her head to find one of her favorite patrons sitting on a stool at the counter. Not everyone liked the handsome blond boy like she did. Many said he was self-absorbed, pompous and a bit of a trouble-maker, but Lana couldn't help but find him charming and funny.

"Jett, what brings you out this way tonight?"

He shrugged and adjusted the collar of his pale pink polo. "Just passing through, and smelled something delicious," he said with a smirk.

"Ah! Well, you came to the right place. Chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans," she listed off.

"I'll take it, doll!" he said, looking her over openly. She shook her head and giggled.

"Coming right up. The usual beverage?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye. Jett was a fitness freak, but he always drank a large chocolate malt with extra whipped cream and a cherry on top when he was at the diner.

"Of course," he said in a husky voice, wiggling an eyebrow. She didn't know if he intended to be as amusing to her as he was, but he definitely could get her into hysterics with his attempts at being flirtatious.

"Roxanne! Jett's here!" Lana called. It was enough to place his order. Everyone already knew what he wanted.

"Where's the center of the universe?" he asked jokingly.

Lana pretended to be confused. "Who?"

Jett rolled his eyes and groaned. "L-O-G-A-N!" he spelled out.

She giggled again. "Oh. He hasn't been here today," she said.

Jett slammed his palms down on the counter-top. "_What! _Not even lurking outside? He must have been abducted by aliens or something! Have you notified the police?"

Lana's expression suddenly grew serious, and she reached for the rag to wipe at the counter. Jett studied her. "Why so glum, chum?" he asked.

"Look Jett, I think the police are harassing Logan, and he really hasn't done anything to deserve it. I mean I know, you know about the race and all, but..." She looked around before leaning low. "We've all been involved in a race or two."

Jett looked indignant. "Maybe you have, but I haven't. I happen to like my face. I don't race, it's juvenile."

"Jett, cut the crap. What I mean is Logan isn't the first one to do it. What about that friend of yours? Cory, isn't it? Jett, I know."

Jett shrugged nonchalantly. "The only person I would ever lower myself to race with, _would _ be Logan. He rubs me the wrong way. I'd love to see him in my rear-view mirror."

"He only rubs you the wrong way because he wants something you want," she said, crossing her arms.

"And, what might that be?" he asked smugly.

"Me."

x-x

Kendall tried his best to take the beating like a man, but the truth was it hurt like hell, just as he figured it would. After the six lashes, his body trembled and his stomach was tied in knots. He couldn't suppress the sobs that escaped him, and the man who'd administered the punishment looked at him sympathetically.

Barton was waiting for him outside the door, and Kendall wasn't ready to go back and face Logan. He didn't want him to see him so broken. He wanted to be the strong one, to comfort him when he was weak, not the other way around.

"Ready to head back, son?" the man asked. He was the same one who'd beaten Logan, but Kendall didn't know that. He shook his head.

"Can I just have a few more minutes?" Kendall asked, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand.

"Sure," the man said. "Take your time." He hung the hose back on the hook, and tidied up the desk in the corner.

Kendall took a last cleansing breath and pulled himself up straighter. The back of him burned like fire but he felt like he could at least pull it off now. "Okay, I'm ready," he said.

The man walked him out where Barton stood nonchalantly against the concrete wall with a sneer on his face. He could see that the boy had cried pretty good with his light eyes being so red, and it pleased him that old man could still do his job.

"Took long enough," he said. "Couldn't resist giving him a few extra for having such a smart mouth, Tom?"

The older man didn't respond, but gave him a curt shake of his head. Barton wished that Zimmer was there to see how subdued the teen was now, he would have found it a hoot too.

"Just give me a private moment with the kid here," Barton said. Tom nodded and walked away. "I don't like you kid, but I'm sure you know that," he said as soon as the man was out of ear-shot.

Kendall was slightly surprised by the words, but he didn't know why. He had wondered why the officers seemed to have it out for him as much as he did the kid who'd supposedly caused the accident.

"Gee, I'm hurt," Kendall said sarcastically.

"You will be, punk. See, we don't like your kind around here," Barton growled.

"My kind?" Kendall said.

"Yeah, your kind. It may be a growing town, but it's still small enough for word to make its way around."

"I see. And what lies to you have on us now?" Kendall asked, fighting to ignore the sting radiating through his backside with a fiery intensity.

"You want that boy of yours in there, but he doesn't want you, ain't that right?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Does the name Sandy ring a bell? Or, Beth-Anne...or Monica?" he asked with a satisfied smirk.

"Sure, they're names of girls. There's a lot of those. Even dated a few of those," Kendall said.

"Yes, but they didn't do much for you, did they? You dumped them all, because they weren't _really_ what you wanted in the first place. I hear those girls figured you all out, sassy-ass."

"Girls always say that when they don't get what they want. You wouldn't know, because times have changed a heck of a lot since you were my age. Now-a-days if the guy doesn't put out either, there has to be something wrong with him. We call them _fast_ girls," Kendall said coldly.

"I know enough to know that you follow that boy all over town. I know you sleep in the same room with him, and I know that your pants get a whole lot tighter when he's around," Barton said with a snort of laughter.

"Oh, so now you're analyzing my pants? I think you're the one who's a little too interested-"

Barton backhanded Kendall, sending a resounding echo down the corridor. The older man they deemed 'the disciplinarian' magically reappeared. He stared curiously at the pair.

"Let's get this ankle-biter back to his cell," Barton snarled.

Logan jumped up from the cot when he saw Kendall slowly making his way back, flanked by the two men. Barton opened the cell and purposely gave Kendall a shove in a sore spot. Kendall gritted his teeth but refused to give him the satisfaction of making any sound.

"You can both make those phone calls in ten minutes," Barton announced as he slammed the door shut.

"Kendall?" Logan said. He watched him sit down gingerly on the edge of the bed and force a sideways smile.

"Bastards," he said.

"Yeah. Is that a hand-print on your cheek?"

"They won't get away with this, Logan. Not if Antonio has anything to say about it."

"But, does he?" Logan asked. He reached an arm around Kendall's slender frame and pulled him closer.

The words Barton had spoken to him only a few minutes before were in the forefront of his mind. Kendall began to ask himself why he did care so much about what Logan thought, did, and felt. Maybe the man was just putting thoughts in his head. He looked up, and into Logan's luminous brown eyes. They were so full of compassion and concern for him. His heart fluttered a bit.

Then, the tears began to flow, and he couldn't turn them off this time. They weren't from the pain anymore, they were from something else entirely. The tears were from the utter confusion that he felt building inside of him...They were from something that he couldn't understand or accept, and that hurt so badly.

**Poor Kendall...he's so confuzzled. Does that make him a Kendizzle? :D Sorry, lack of sleep makes me a bit giddy.**

**Hugs,**

**Crumpet**


	15. Slumber Party

**15. Slumber Party**

Officer Garcia never made it past the woman at the desk. "What's your business here, Officer?" she asked suspiciously, while eyeing his badge.

"Garcia," he said, offering a hand. She stared at the hand, obviously not impressed with formalities. "And your business?"

"I'm here to find out whose in charge of a couple of boys...who apparently checked in earlier. Not sure why they did though."

"You know for sure that they checked in?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not exactly," he admitted. "but my son's roommates didn't come home, and I'm told that one had an appointment scheduled here today."

She sighed and picked up the phone. "I have an Officer Garcia here that says a couple of boys he knows might be in, but he's not sure. Okay...thanks."

Antonio stared at the woman. "Well?"

"Did one of them phone you stating you were their one call?" she asked.

"Nooo...but listen. I see you know who I'm talking about. This place seems harder to get into than-well you know what, and I just want to speak with one of my brothers. You know-one of the ones in blue?" She gave him a scathing scowl.

"Look, who put _you_ in charge here, anyway? Are you saying I can't get back there to just ask a few questions?" he asked, his temper finally getting the best of him. He was becoming increasingly suspicious of policemen's intentions.

"Calm down, sir."

"Officer Garcia to you!" he snapped. She looked over the top of her glasses indignantly.

"Officer!" she spat back, "I don't make the rules, I just follow them! If you're here on business, they would need to know that before I can grant you access. I don't let _anyone _by without authorization. If you weren't phoned to retrieve one of the boys, and it isn't your own son, there's nothing I can do!"

"Really? Well, we'll just see about that! Never saw a place like this in my entire career! If anything bad happens to one of those boys, or if they were held without a reason, you'll see plenty of me! Tell whoever was on the other end of the line _THAT!_"

"Would you like to speak to an officer? I can have one come out to see you," she said, suddenly pleasant.

Antonio thought for a moment. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to get the boys out without an escalation of some sort. He would play it cool and see how they handled the arrests. He'd have a better chance of taking them down when he could prove they'd crossed the line, and it wouldn't do anyone any good for him to lose his cool and wind up on the other end of an investigation.

"No. I'll wait for that _one_ call. I assume it's coming?" he asked.

She nodded. "I assume so."

* * *

Antonio returned to the beach house to find Carlos and James hiding in their back bedroom. After banging on the kitchen door for three full minutes, he finally went around to the bedroom window and tapped. The boys screamed, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's me boys! Open up!" he called.

"He doesn't have Kendall and Logan with him," Carlos said, peeking through the curtains at his father. They went to the kitchen and let him in.

"Where are they?" James asked.

"I believe they're being held at the station, but even I couldn't get back there. Are you sure they didn't try to call you here?" he asked.

"I don't think so," James said, hoping that it wasn't the missed call from earlier.

"Wait...we didn't get the phone when you were in the shower!" Carlos said. "Do you think it was them?"

"I bet it was. I wish it would've been me they called," Antonio said wistfully. "They can say that both boys tried to phone many times if they want to. My guess is they'll be phoning you in the morning to pick them up. Looks like they'll be spending their first night in jail."

"I hope they can at least see each other. You don't think...anything _bad_ will happen to them in there, do you?" James asked.

Antonio shook his head. "Naw. I don't think they'd get away with something like that. The boys aren't hardened criminals or anything." Inwardly he prayed he was right.

They found themselves staring at the phone on the kitchen wall nervously, Antonio drumming his fingers impatiently on the table-top.

"Should I heat up some left-overs?" James asked. They both nodded.

As James busied himself, Carlos pulled the deck of cards out of the drawer. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

With no call from Kendall and Logan, Antonio was getting antsy. He didn't want to let on that he wasn't expecting a call until the next day.

"I phoned Phil to let him know that he could work my shift. It doesn't look like I'll be getting back any time soon, and he could use the hours."

"Papi, can you just hang here with us tonight?" Carlos asked hopefully. It was no longer a secret that they were afraid of the dirty cops.

Antonio smiled at his sons. "Sure, it would be a good idea for me to be here in in case they phone anyway, but don't let 'em get to you like that. I think they're going to go down really soon They're getting way too cocky now."

"I hope so," James said. "I don't like looking over my shoulder all the time."

"How about we make some popcorn, watch a good movie, and make a night of it like old times?" Antonio asked. "It be like a...what do you kids call 'em now-a-days? Slumber parties!"

"Papi! Boys don't have slumber parties! Girls do!" Carlos announced indignantly. James laughed.

"Okay. Sleep-over?" he asked. Carlos and James rolled their eyes at one another. "A guys night?"

His boys nodded, but he could still see the worry in their eyes. "Don't worry, I'll pick them up in the morning just as soon as we get that call. They're probably sleeping by now."

"Okay, Papi. Let me show you around the kitchen then."

Wait, let me phone the old lady first and let her know that I'll be camping out here with our boys." He looked around, trying to remember where the nearest phone in the living room was.

"Phone's over there Mr. G," James said, pointing to a side-table. "I'll just see what's on the boob tube."

"That's my boys!" Antonio said cheerfully, clapping his hands victoriously.

Carlos whistled to himself as he gathered the bowls and sodas. He wished he'd been in the house and not out in the garage, when that phone rang earlier. Half-dazed, he set the aluminum Jiffy-Pop pan on the burner.

"I'll be needing to borrow some pajamas. How's it going anyway?" Antonio asked, coming in with a smile.

"Papi? There's something bothering me."

"Oh?" he said, clearly not surprised.

"That boy who was killed...wasn't he a tow-head?"

"I believe he was. Why?"

"So was the boy driving the car the night I made the beer-run. Why was he in the back-seat of the same car and not driving?"

Antonio reached around to lower the flame before the popcorn burned, contemplating his son's words. "So, you do know it was the same car. Don't kids take turns driving all the time?"

Carlos shook his head. "Maybe, but this guy acted like he owned the car _and_ the road. He didn't seem like the type to let anyone else be the driver of a cool hot rod like that."

"Well...maybe more than one of the boys in the group was a tow-head."

"Not the night I saw them. The other one had really dark hair."

"But there were _three _boys in the car this time, from what I hear."

"True, but I never saw another light-haired boy hanging with that gang."

"You think that same kid was in the back-seat of that car...for another reason?"

"I don't know, but it just seems weird to me, you know? If it's the same kid and Logan just happened to be there when they challenged him to a race, then this punk was challenging him in a car that wasn't even his."

Antonio shook the popper back and forth for him and smiled softly. "You're even more like your pops than I thought. You've raised some interesting questions here. I'll look into that, I promise. First let's ask Logan if he saw a fair-haired boy driving that night, okay?"

"Okay," Carlos said, still stewing over the night he laid eyes on the troublemakers.

"Now come on, James found a new Marilyn Monroe movie on, and he's absolutely glued to the screen."

x-x

"Lights out!" the warden bellowed from down the way, startling Kendall awake. The man's voice echoed eerily throughout the cavernous halls just before the lights clicked off. He was confused, but one thing was apparent; no one had come for them.

"Awwww...weren't they cute? Same bed...looks like a slumber party..." The voice trailed off.

Kendall squinted into the darkness. He reached over and felt for Logan. He didn't know how long he'd actually been under, but his suspicion that Logan was also asleep, was confirmed. He was snoring softly, and Kendall knew that Logan rarely snored. He'd either had to have had too much to drink, or been experiencing a great deal of stress. The latter was always the most likely.

He sat upright and shook out the stiffness. His arm had been bent behind his head as he'd slept, and the back of his body felt tight and sore from the lashing. Blindly, he finally located Logan and stroked his cheek softly. There was no response other than a slight variation in the rhythm of his breathing. Kendall scooted closer and leaned into the sleeping boy.

He wanted to pull him to his chest and wrap his arms around him, but he realized he might startle him under the circumstances. He cared too much about him to want him forced awake while inside of the hell-hole. It was best to let him sleep as long as he could.

Instead, he waited until his own eyes adjusted to the low light coming from some unknown source, and watched Logan's silhouette as he slept. He seemed so peaceful lying beside him, that is if he could somehow convince himself that they hadn't been arrested, stripped and beaten with a rubber hose.

Now, if only Logan knew how he really felt...at least how he believed he felt.

No one could understand him the way that he could. Of course he got frustrated when Logan risked his own life, but that was only because he couldn't bear to lose him, he thought to himself. Without him he would still have two of the best friends ever, but he wouldn't have someone who was the perfect blend of friend, brother and...

Unable to fall back to sleep, Kendall laid silently, searching his soul in the darkness of the cell. What was Logan to him that the other two weren't, he wondered. He pressed his lips to the warm forehead and closed his eyes, lost deep in his thoughts. He drank in the familiar scent that only Logan possessed, and relished the way the smaller boy fit perfectly into the groove of his body, as if he belonged there. The empty void that had felt like a vacuum, sucking the very life from him for so many years since his brother's passing, seemed to ebb away when they'd met.

Even though they were in a terrible predicament now, he still made it just a bit better with his presence. Without realizing, Kendall nuzzled into the crook of Logan's neck as he pondered their relationship.

"Kendall?" Logan said in a panicked whisper. Kendall could hear Logan's heart speed up.

"Shhh...it's just me," Kendall whispered back. "I've got 'cha." He ran his fingers through the thick dark hair affectionately.

Logan relaxed and leaned into the touch, and Kendall heard him swallow. "I'm scared, Kenzo," he said, using the pet-name he'd first given him in childhood, "'cause these guys are out for blood."

"I know." Kendall sighed. "But don't worry. It'll be okay." He didn't really believe that, but he felt it was what Logan needed to hear, and comforting him was the only thing that felt good at the moment. Before they'd fallen asleep together, Logan had been there for him. He'd soothed him with gentle words, and rubbed his shoulders until he'd finally stopped crying, just as he had for him. The exchange of compassion that only true friends and, or lovers, could provide for one another.

"I know, I know," Logan had said, "and they had no right to hurt _you_. I did this, not you."

That was when Kendall ceased crying all together. Obviously his pride had been compromised, but he couldn't tell him what else was burdening him. It was easier to let him believe it was just the pain and humiliation of the processing and whipping. He couldn't find the words to express how angry it made him to know that they'd treated Logan in the same way. He also couldn't find the words to express that he loved him even more at that moment than he'd thought possible.

Instead, he just went with it, soaking up the affection that Logan offered. It felt good to be on the receiving end of Logan's sweet touch for a change, since he'd always had to be strong for the both of them. He'd always believed that Logan needed him to be the leader of the group, as well as a stand-in dad. One who was there for him when he messed up, as well as when he excelled.

Now, all he wanted to do was fix everything for all of them. He wrapped himself around the shorter boy and held him tight, just as he wanted to all along. He was through with holding back. Logan didn't pull away, so Kendall leaned in and brushed his lips gently to his.

_"Kendall?" _Logan said, obviously shocked. His body was tense beneath him.

"S-Sorry," Kendall said, "I think I was dreaming ...or something."

x-x

James rubbed his slightly scruffy chin in confusion as he approached the kitchen the next morning. He could hear the clatter of pans and dishes, and for a moment he mistook the typical commotion for the boys' usual early morning bustle. He walked in to find Carlos and his dad engaged in an a lively conversation that he couldn't quite decipher. He was pretty sure that they weren't speaking Spanish, but it seemed to be their own private language as far as he could tell.

James leaned against the door jamb and watched the two work. Antonio ruffled his son's hair and laughed. That was when they discovered James observing them.

"Hey, good morning sleepyhead!" Antonio greeted.

"Hey," James said, slowly making his way toward the table to take a seat. "Smells good in here."

"Well, we thought we'd make a nice traditional breakfast together, and start the day out right," Antonio said, plopping a glass of orange juice down before James. "I'm sure you don't get many home-cooked meals around here."

James tried not to smile when he saw Carlos look sheepish. "Actually..." James began.

"I kind of cook for the guys sometimes," Carlos cut in with a shrug.

"Oh? So you're carrying on the traditions of the Garcia men?"

"I guess so," Carlos said.

James shoveled a heap of scrambled eggs into his open mouth. "He's a pretty good little chef too, I might add." Carlos blushed and started in on his own serving of eggs and bacon.

"That's my boy!" Antonio said. James glanced at the clock on the wall and Antonio's expression suddenly grew serious. "I'm waiting for my partner to phone," he explained. "He's going to meet me at the station when I go to pick up the boys. I think there should always be a witness present when we deal with these guys."

"This isn't going to end well, is it?" James said, concern in his warm brown eyes.

Antonio took a large bite of buttered toast, using the time it took to chew, to find the best way to respond. "I'm not going to let these guys get away with ruining my boys' lives. They seem to have an ulterior motive here, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

Carlos relaxed, allowing the tension to ease from his shoulders. He trusted that his father would do exactly what he said he would. When he made his mind up to do something, he always managed to get the job done.

James, however, couldn't shake off the uneasiness growing in the pit of his stomach. His dad didn't always keep his promises, even when his intentions were honorable. Meanwhile, two of the best friends a guy could have, were trapped behind bars being submitted to God knows what. He just wanted his life to go back to where it'd been before Logan was involved in the accident.

The phone rang, and despite expecting it to, all three jumped. Antonio raced to pick it up. "Hello? _Kendall?"_


End file.
